Curtin University will use International Women's Day, tomorrow March 8, to promote engineering as profession of choice for women.
Curtin University will use International Women's Day, tomorrow March 8, to promote engineering as profession of choice for women.
Curtin University of Technology dean of engineering Professor Tony Lucey said that there was a world of opportunity for women in the traditionally male dominated industry of engineering.
Professor Tony Lucey said that the industry has recognised the need for diversity and is making a concerted effort to attract and support female engineers.
"It is not only an issue of equity - it is important to have a female perspective in the creative process and in decision making roles.
"There is a perception that engineering is only about machines, smoke and oil, however the fact is engineers serve society in almost every possible way - from biomedical innovations to sustainability and the environment."
Professor Lucey believes it is partly this misconception that is discouraging women from taking up a career in engineering.
Currently, Engineers Australia has 77,000 members nationally, of which only 7,065 (9.2 per cent) are women.
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Tuesday 7 March, 2006
Breaking the myth of a men-only industry
International Women's Day (Wednesday 8 March)
A world of opportunity lies ready and waiting for women in the traditionally male dominated industry of engineering, according to the Dean of Engineering at Curtin University of Technology.
Professor Tony Lucey said that the industry has recognised the need for diversity and is making a concerted effort to attract and support female engineers.
"It is not only an issue of equity - it is important to have a female perspective in the creative process and in decision making roles.
"There is a perception that engineering is only about machines, smoke and oil, however the fact is engineers serve society in almost every possible way - from biomedical innovations to sustainability and the environment."
Professor Lucey believes it is partly this misconception that is discouraging women from taking up a career in engineering.
"Many people don't realise that engineering can be used to design and create great benefits and solutions for the world."
Currently, Engineers Australia has 77,000 members nationally, of which only 7,065 are women, or 9.2%.
Engineering student enrolment numbers at Curtin University of Technology show a similar deficiency, with only 134 of 1455 engineering students being female in 1996 (9.2%).
However this number is slowing rising, and last year 332 females were in an engineering student body of 2312 (or 14.4%) at Curtin.
"This may seem like a slow rise, but with initiatives like the Curtin Women in Engineering, Science and Computing (CWESC), as well as scholarships dedicated to supporting females wanting to study engineering we will hopefully see the numbers pick up," Professor Lucey said.
Janice Lake, Executive Director of the WA Division of Engineers Australia said they are also doing their best to attract females to the profession.
"We have a specific 'Women in Engineering' (WIE) group in WA that is very active in arranging professional development and networking events for female engineers, particularly focusing on the specific issues women face in a male-dominated field.
"Our ambassadors program also engages successful female engineers to go out and talk to school-aged children about the profession," Ms Lake said.
Government is also getting involved - at the end of last year, the Hon Dr Judy Edwards MLA, Minister for Science, launched the Women In Science, Engineering and Technology (WISET) Program.
The program is a joint initiative between the Minister for Science and the WA Science Council, and undertakes activities including initiatives to attract school leavers and increase awareness and participation of females in this field, as well as providing support and mentoring networks.
"The industry really is working hard to ensure we have diversity in the workforce, and despite the challenges faced by women in a male dominated field, it certainly isn't the men-only club it was years ago," Professor Lucey said.
