8. Gender Imbalance in the Engineering Workforce

The disproportion of males to females in the Engineering profession has been a long-discussed issue not only in Australia but internationally. The minority status of women in the engineering workforce has been well documented with copious amounts of surveys and research that discuss the factors that contribute to this deviation.

      

Notably, there is a marked absence of women observed in Construction and Mining - two sectors which have prominence in the Australian economy and are highly paid. Factors impacting women’s engagement in these sectors include low levels of part-time work, a culture of overwork, long hours that are incompatible with non-work responsibilities and the remote nature of work in the industry sector.

Of course, the gender imbalance in the engineering workforce has been recognised over the past decade. Numerous initiatives have been implemented and supported by the Australian government, industry bodies, academic institutions and companies in Australia who aim to attract and retain women in the engineering profession. A few examples include forums, workshops and conventions held by Engineers Australia, as well as engineering firms introducing Women in Engineering Scholarship programs.

The initial step to employing more female engineers is motivating them to participate in engineering studies. Simply being exposed to the opportunities a career in Engineering at an early stage in their education is a good start. In fact, this applies to all students, not specifically females. Personally, coming from an all girls high school, the word engineering rarely appeared in our conversations. Had engineering been a warmer topic of discussion, I would envisage more girls pursuing it as a career or at least having an interest.

       

Support is key. Recently, there have been discussions of implementing initiatives to support engineers on parental leave and encourage them to return to the workforce. Under this initiative, those on parental leave can learn how to stay in touch with their profession and maintain connections for when they return to work. This is not only beneficial to mothers but fathers as well as parents are now able to continue career development even after having children.

As we progress as a society, we leave the stereotype that links masculinity to engineering behind and stride towards attracting more women to the engineering profession.

Sources:
Engineers Australia survey of working environment and engineering careers 2012
New Initiative Supports Engineers on Parental Leave