Aspen Institute Calls Women Untapped Resource for U.S. Manufacturing Sector
Update: You can watch the livestream of the event mentioned below -
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/18/filling-the-skills-gap-in_n_4985617.html
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"One untapped resource to address the problem remains in plain view: women are increasingly outperforming men in acquiring advanced skills, but are under-represented in both the manufacturing workforce and in the specialized S.T.E.M. fields most in demand in today's industrial economy."
This from a new article published in the Huffington Post this week by Thomas Duesterberg, executive director of the manufacturing and society program at the Aspen Institute, an educational and policy studies organization based in Washington, DC.
The article includes lots of data we've written about on our blog before: Women outpacing men in attaining degrees, women underperforming in the manufacturing sector and in STEM fields, etc.
But it also includes some stats that are new to us - Duesterberg writes about recently released data from the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA). The data is pulled from a 2012 test of 15-year-olds in 70 countries. Results show that boys outperform girls in mathematics, but only when girls are less motivated or confident about their skills.
Duesterberg explains that these results bolster theories that girls are often given early signals that push them away from STEM and, in turn, manufacturing.
To solve this problem, Duesterberg says - "Any improvement in some of these discouraging numbers about women in S.T.E.M. fields and in manufacturing will require concerted effort over a long period of time, but it must start early, when girls are considering which academic field to pursue and processing cultural signals about careers. In addition to efforts to inspire and motivate girls to go into S.T.E.M. fields, manufacturers need to increase the ranks of women in leadership roles, provide a supportive work environment, and encourage long-term mentoring of promising women."
Amen!
And the Aspen Institute is not just talking. They are taking action. Next week, they're hosting a lunch discussion titled, "Filling the Skills Gap in Manufacturing: The Untapped Resource." Here are the details -
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/18/filling-the-skills-gap-in_n_4985617.html
-----------------------
"One untapped resource to address the problem remains in plain view: women are increasingly outperforming men in acquiring advanced skills, but are under-represented in both the manufacturing workforce and in the specialized S.T.E.M. fields most in demand in today's industrial economy."
This from a new article published in the Huffington Post this week by Thomas Duesterberg, executive director of the manufacturing and society program at the Aspen Institute, an educational and policy studies organization based in Washington, DC.The article includes lots of data we've written about on our blog before: Women outpacing men in attaining degrees, women underperforming in the manufacturing sector and in STEM fields, etc.
But it also includes some stats that are new to us - Duesterberg writes about recently released data from the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA). The data is pulled from a 2012 test of 15-year-olds in 70 countries. Results show that boys outperform girls in mathematics, but only when girls are less motivated or confident about their skills.
Duesterberg explains that these results bolster theories that girls are often given early signals that push them away from STEM and, in turn, manufacturing.
To solve this problem, Duesterberg says - "Any improvement in some of these discouraging numbers about women in S.T.E.M. fields and in manufacturing will require concerted effort over a long period of time, but it must start early, when girls are considering which academic field to pursue and processing cultural signals about careers. In addition to efforts to inspire and motivate girls to go into S.T.E.M. fields, manufacturers need to increase the ranks of women in leadership roles, provide a supportive work environment, and encourage long-term mentoring of promising women."
Amen!
And the Aspen Institute is not just talking. They are taking action. Next week, they're hosting a lunch discussion titled, "Filling the Skills Gap in Manufacturing: The Untapped Resource." Here are the details -
The Manufacturing Program of the Aspen Institute, in partnership with the Association for
Women in Science and the Bertelsmann Foundation, invites you to a lunch discussion:
Filling the Skills Gap in Manufacturing:
The Untapped Resource
March 18, 2014
12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
at
The Aspen Institute
1 Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 700
Featuring:
Karen A. Fletcher
Vice President, DuPont Engineering and Chief Engineer, E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company
Antoinette (Tonie) Leatherberry
Principal, Deloitte Consulting LLP, and Member of the Board
Former Senator Blanche Lincoln
Founder and Principal, Lincoln Policy Group
Dr. Elizabeth Woo
Vice President of Corporate Accounts, Sales, Biotechnology Market and
Application Specialist Program, Thermo Fisher Scientific Corporation
Moderated By: Dr. Theresa A. Maldonado
Director of the Division of Engineering Education and Centers (EEC),
Directorate for Engineering, National Science Foundation
Econometric work at The Aspen Institute and elsewhere shows that a main barrier to a strong resurgence in the manufacturing sector is the need for more skilled workers. Women are increasingly outperforming men in acquiring advanced skills and college degrees, yet, are vastly underrepresented in the manufacturing workforce. This growing sector would greatly benefit from a more diverse workforce that taps into this talent pool, and women could gain entry to a broad variety of high paying and creative careers. Providing incentives for women to enter the manufacturing sector requires vision and concerted effort. Young women need to be encouraged to enter the sector and acquire the skills needed to succeed. Manufacturers need to increase the ranks of women in leadership and mentoring roles, and provide a supportive environment for employees to integrate work and personal responsibilities. The panel discussion will explore these issues.
A light buffet lunch will be served. RSVP required. To register click here.
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