Why We Should Be Encouraging More Girls to Take Engineering Degrees
The nature of post-secondary education requires ample time, concentration and – unfortunately – money. Because of the financial struggles that so many young people face, along with social stigmas and other hurdles, female educational attainment rates have lagged those of males for most of recorded history.
In recent years, however, we’ve seen a surge in female enrollment in colleges and universities, with females comprising a majority of college attendees for the first time ever. There are still some areas where males dominate with respect to obtaining degrees: the world of engineering is one of them. Yet engineering is a rewarding career and one that more young girls should consider as a valuable career path. Today, we’ll discuss why more girls should consider pursuing these engineering degrees.
A Massive Shortage of Engineers
When one gender is far more likely to study engineering than the other, it seems like a no-brainer to correct that problem considering that there is a massive shortage of engineers. Whether somebody earns an online masters in engineering or attends a more traditional college setting, the need for those employees is crucial. In the coming years, countless millions of jobs in engineering and comparable fields will become necessary – yet we’re on track to suffer from an even greater shortage of engineers than exists today. Ultimately, encouraging more girls to take engineering degrees is not just a moral argument: it’s an economic argument.
An End to Stigmas and Stereotypes
The result of decades and centuries of firmly held gender norms, careers that require a combination of professional behavior and analytical minds continue to lag in terms of gender parity. These reinforced stereotypes deserve to be challenged and one of the best ways to do so is to level the playing field with respect to who works in which occupations. With no evidence to suggest that men make better engineers than women, it only seems right to encourage more females to pursue careers in an industry with ample job security and excellent pay. Rather than encouraging our daughters to pursue careers that may be in line with what their ancestors pursued, we should encourage them to pursue careers where they’ll uncover their greatest potential.
A Great and Stable Future
The combination of facts mentioned above highlights why engineering is such a great field to encourage more girls to pursue. Not only is there a huge demand for engineers in the current climate – which guarantees job security – but engineers are some of the best-paid professionals. It is rare for an established engineer to earn less than six figures in his or her occupation, meaning that the role of each engineer in a given occupation is both valued and necessary. The desire for humans to feel needed in their occupation is stronger than many may realize; engineers definitely feel needed based on both their compensation and the respect they garner in the workforce.
We need more girls to pursue masters of engineering online and offline degrees for a number of reasons. First, it makes economic sense in a world where engineers are in short supply. In addition, engineering careers pay well, provide job security, and help to shatter unflattering gender stereotypes that all too often limit young women from achieving their true potential.