STEM is a phrase you may have heard many times, but never been sure what it actually means. It is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, and encompasses any professions or areas of education that fall into these categories. STEM jobs have generally been male-dominated, and even in the 21st century, that continues to be the case. Luckily, there are a whole host of programs and schemes to get women into these workplaces. If you or your kids are considering these subjects or jobs, here is some more basic information on the types of training, courses and jobs that STEM involves.
Science
When you think of science jobs, you may think of medicine. This is just one of many areas of science in which anyone can work. Becoming a medical professional is an extremely rewarding career path, as it allows you to help others while being at the forefront of medical technology. Even though there is still some gender inequality in the medical field, with more women being nurses and more men being doctors, both genders bring experiences and knowledge that can benefit patients and colleagues.
Other scientific jobs may revolve around animals. Being a vet is another greatly rewarding choice, as are the many forms of biological research or rehabilitation jobs that are available in the sector. Helping to care for and research endangered flora and fauna can allow you to travel the world, save species, research new ones and preserve our planet. Whether this is on land, sea or sky, there are plenty of scientific and research-based courses and jobs available for those who are passionate about the planet.
Often, jobs within the STEM industries go hand in hand, as knowledge and skills acquired can be transferred between the different areas. This is no different in sciences, as some examples of science jobs and areas of study include:
Computer science
Agriculture
Mathematical physics
Data science
Business science
The word science is derived from scientia, which is Latin for ‘knowledge’, and this is exactly what makes a career in science so exciting. The endless possibilities of exploration and discovery, sharing and gaining knowledge, and making big differences to the whole world, whether this is in medicine, biology or any of the scientific fields you could be working in.
Technology
The tech world is another male-dominated industry, becoming synonymous with names like Jobs and Gates. While these men created truly great things, the female inventors and pioneers are less often mentioned. In fact, women have been responsible for developments and inventions involving telephones, user interfaces, networking and search engines. There are an increasing number of brilliant programs and organizations working to get women, particularly girls in school, into computing and technology.
As with science, there are numerous career paths to go down. Coding, analytics and software engineering barely scratch the surface, and by opening up these opportunities to girls at school, they can become aware of all the options available to them at an early age, and get the training they need to be successful in the industry, inspiring the next generation of female tech lovers.
Engineering
When you think of engineering, you may think of outdated images of men building rail networks or working on cars. In actual fact, this is just a small snippet of the options available within the engineering industry. Engineering means skillfully building, constructing and maintaining something, whether it’s a large structure or machine, or complex computers. Anyone can become an engineer, and there are many courses and training methods to help you achieve this. Click here for more details. Some of the many areas of engineering include:
Biological
Audio
Chemical
Computer
Aerospace
Audio engineering is the perfect blend of creativity and science, as you could create sounds and audio for a huge range of projects. Sound engineers are used in a variety of industries, such as film, TV, radio, video games and music production. Similarly, you can combine a love for technology and engineering by working as a computer engineer, helping to create, design, implement and maintain everything to do with computers and their related equipment. As computers are so important to our daily lives, and are used in so many fields, there are plenty of computer engineer jobs, as well as degrees and courses to give you the best training possible.
Mathematics
It is often said that ‘math is a universal language’, however, some may have a better grasp of it than others. People frequently have negative experiences with math in school, resulting in them avoiding it as much as they can. However, embracing math at any age can open up a whole host of opportunities. There are so many famous, influential mathematicians, but because math classes tend to focus on the content, rather than the history of the subject, you may not realize just how many of them were women.
Math goes hand in hand with other elements of STEM, and is extremely valuable in the workplace. Industries like business and finance value math skills, as does the computing industry and video game programmers. Once you look deeper into the benefits of math, you can see how much it contributes to our society. A lot of work is being done to encourage women to study math and pursue careers in the industry. However, there are also steps being taken on the other side; fixing the inequality issues within the industry, to make it more accessible for everyone.
There are several reasons as to why there are fewer women in STEM careers and courses, and these range from historic prohibitions to wage gaps. By identifying these problems, industries can start to make themselves more equal for all employees. This allows you and your children to follow their dreams and work in their desired fields, and gives the companies and industries the benefit of a diverse workforce. Talking about these issues, encouraging study and exploration, and seeking out organizations and courses can all help to land a career in a STEM industry and pave the way for the next generation, regardless of gender.
