Earlier this year, leading academics in engineering raised concerns about gender imbalance and the number of girls studying STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) in high school.

Engineering is a predominantly male dominated market which is consistent internationally. In Australia, 21% of the engineering workforce are women  and that number will drop as only 14.4% of engineering students are now female.

It’s needless to say that in Australia alone, we are crying out for the younger female generation to start navigating careers in stem. But just how important are women to the future of engineering?

Engineers Australia say women who graduate and secure employment often outperform their male colleagues and become integral parts of the workforce.

Even though the number of females going into engineering is disproportioned, the women that do possess an engineering career are extremely talented.

Professor Elanor Huntington, dean of engineering and computer science at the Australian National University agrees with this statement. Elanor can see girls substantially underrepresented in the first year intake which is consistent right across the country. “But the girls who do choose to study engineering are high achievers and our data shows their grade point average is slightly higher than boys’ on average.”

“There is a lot of discussion about the lack of women working in this field at every part of the system, from employers to universities and high schools,” she said. “It’s great there is this attention but it is a complex problem that has a lot to do with societal attitudes.”

The number one thing holding women back is stereotypes, the stereotype is that girls and women are not as good in these fields as boys and men, yet this is not true.

Women themselves are missing out on opportunities to leverage learning and skills in interesting and rewarding careers, explore new fields, develop new knowledge, design new solutions, and benefit from the rewards of careers in STEM. Companies need to make a welcoming environment,  part of that is setting up a process that deliberately encourages diversity in hiring and retention.

There’s a pressing need for talent in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Such positions represent 80 percent of available STEM jobs and are a hugely growing area, according to a AAUW report.

The Women in Engineering Leadership summit will be running in Sydney this November. Share insights, discuss opportunities and network with like-minded women in STEM.