Summit to rebalance gender in engineering Friday, 08 January 2016

The STEM skills shortage and gender imbalance within the engineering disciplines are the targets of a six-day summit being held this week at the University of Wollongong, which will aim to encourage young women to become engineers.

More than 80 girls from high schools across New South Wales and the ACT will take part in the Women in Engineering Summit, which is being hosted by the University of Wollongong's Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences from 10 January to 15 January.

The summit will aim to inspire girls in Years 10 and 11 to change the world through engineering and technology, find out more about careers in the engineering and STEM-industries, experience the facilities at the University, and tour local sites.

Participants will have an opportunity to learn about STEM through the themes of Medicine and the Human Body, Sustainability in the Built Environment, Renewable Energies and the Natural Environment, and Creative Design. As part of the activities, attendees will explore technology through animatronics, coding and 3D printing.

They will also meet industry leaders, academics and other women with similar interests from across the state as they explore engineering disciplines including environmental, civil, mining, electrical, mechatronics, materials, computer and telecommunications engineering. Young female engineering students and recent graduates currently working in industry will also be on hand to provide inspiration.

One of the organisers for the event is Destiny Paris, an electrical engineer with many years of experience working in a wide range of industries. She said the summit was an opportunity to break down stereotypes about STEM studies and show the career opportunities available.

“Engineering is about designing products, processes and systems that improve the lives of people all over the world. Women make up half the world’s population and if they are to be equal users of all these products of engineering they should have an equal part in their design," she said.

The gender gap in engineering and technology is a real issue: only about 14% of Australian students enrolled in engineering or technology-related degrees in 2015 at Australian institutions were female.

According to Paris, introducing a new generation of youth to STEM will also help Australia navigate the risks of digital disruption, which Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC) estimates will put at risk 44% (or 5.1 million) jobs in Australia.

"It is imperative that we spark an interest and equip our youth with STEM skills at an early age in order to secure opportunities for future employment and ensure equal participation of women in these fields,” she said.