Women’s Engineering Society partners with Rockwell Automation to highlight women in STEM

Every year for the past 9 years, Women’s Engineering Society (WES), has focused attention on career opportunities and global achievements of women in engineering on International Women in Engineering Day, on June 23.

According to WES, 16.5% of engineers are women. One of the reasons for the under-representation of women in engineering, is that girls and women are systematically tracked away from science and math throughout their education, limiting their access, preparation, and opportunities to go into these fields as adults.

Using various STEM education as well as outreach activities, Rockwell Automation is working on changing that, and as a result encourage more young girls and women to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

One way of increasing the interest of young women in STEM-related fields is by using role models. According to a survey by Microsoft, 63% of middle school girls know women in STEM or enjoy STEM-related subjects. In comparison, 46% of middle school girls, who personally don’t know women in STEM subjects feel powerful doing STEM. 72% of girls who personally know women in STEM know how to pursue a STEM career, compared to 47% of those who don’t personally know women in STEM.

Women engineers in Rockwell Automation have reached out to the community to champion STEM subjects, and thus inspire the next generation of women to pursue careers in STEM; they are also providing a support system for women once they enter the workforce.