While almost 50% of the labor market are women, there’s only 28% of women in STEM fields in contrast to 72% of men.
Fewer than 4% are Latinas, and less than 3% are black.
Only 1 out of 20 employed scientists and engineers are black women or Latinas.
This is not to say that women have less interests in STEM fields. Numerous studies show that women are more than capable of working in STEM fields and we can confidently say that, young women who are facing multiple barriers have a high interest in becoming the future of work. The question, however, remains: “What can we do differently to inspire more young, diverse women to explore STEM fields as a future career?”
One way we have been doing this is through developing programs that are inclusive and exciting in addition to real-life experiences for the young women who have joined us throughout the years in our programs. In the past, our young participants have had the opportunity to meet women professionals who shared their experiences in terms of what they love and what they love to see change in STEM fields. The honesty, warmth, and transparency that the women working in these fields have shared have been instrumental in our student’s success.
One program in particular that we have seen immense benefits in is the STEMing UP Program, which introduces young women to the world of business and technology in a realistic way. We stay away from “pretend” ideas and young women have the opportunity to solve real business problems. We see great value in that because by being involved in real solutions our students gain the confidence that they need in order to pursue a career in STEM while businesses get valuable solutions to directly apply to their business.
In the past, we selected companies to work with for this program and, because we understand that women-led companies and start-ups are facing barriers in terms of the support that they need to grow their business, we are introducing the STEMing UP Challenge Partner Program in order to select the companies that are a great fit for their business and for the students.
By working together we will challenge the social norms and focus on the future of work, today. Are you in?