5 Impacts of The Presence Of Women in The Engineering Workforce
In the recent past, there has been significant growth in the number of women in the engineering workforce. It is nowadays trendy for women to engage in the engineering workforce. This was a rare occurrence in the past where men dominated the engineering workforce. For a very long time, there has been the belief that engineering work is for men. However, things are changing rapidly and women are engaging in the engineering workforce. The presence of women in the engineering workforce has a great impact on various levels. We will look into the leading five impacts of the presence of women in the engineering workforce.
1. Greater Innovations
Engineering is an innovative field. It requires innovative minds to help in coming up with new ways to solve engineering problems. When many women took engineering jobs, they brought in more labor that contributed to improving innovations. This is a positive impact on the field of engineering is working to get better solutions.
For a long time, these innovative minds of women were suppressed and the engineering field did not enjoy some of the great innovations we have today courtesy of the women in the engineering workforce.
2. Support and Mentor Graduate Students
Another great impact of the presence of women in the engineering workforce is support and mentorship programs for graduate students, specifically among female students. Research shows that female students taking engineering courses at the university level are more likely to drop out than their male counterparts. For a long time, this has been true and many female students have been dropping out of engineering courses and signing up for other courses. However, with the presence of women in the engineering workforce, young girls are encouraged to pursue engineering courses. This has increased the number of young girls taking up engineering courses, thus showing the impact of the presence of women in the engineering workforce in making women part of the number of people taking up engineering jobs.
3. Increase in the Number of Women in the Engineering Workforce
The number of women in the engineering workforce is on an upward trend. This is because there are already women in this previously male-dominated workforce. The women who are there are inspiring others to join the workforce. By consistently contributing positively to the engineering workforce, the women here work as role models for young women who want to join the workforce. Therefore, the presence of women in the engineering workforce contributes to other women wanting to join hence increasing the number of women in the engineering workforce.
4. Promotes Gender Equality
Another impact of having women in the engineering workforce is that they help in promoting gender equality. Previously, attempts by women to promote gender equality were hindered by the fact that women could not engage in male-dominated labor such as engineering. Now that women are there, it is evidently clear that gender equality is being promoted. This is a positive impact since more and more women are able to match their male counterparts, thanks to the brave women who have shown that it is possible to match up with men, even in their perceived courses, such as engineering.
5. General Improvement of the Economy
The economy is also benefiting from the presence of women in the engineering workforce. There are different ways in which the economy grows out of this. Firstly, there is the expansion of universities to accommodate the growing number of women seeking engineering courses. Expansion of universities means more intakes, which translates to more money in the economy. Secondly, and perhaps the most important economic contribution is that women help in solving some problems facing the engineering field. These solutions help in growing the economy since engineering provides solutions to major industries of the economy.
Women in the engineering workforce have a great impact on the world today. The above-mentioned only show some of the impacts brought by the brave women who actively participate in the engineering workforce.
