With the rise of self-made tech billionaires like Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk, in many cases, boys who prefer computers to sports have gone from dismissed to revered. This shift in public perception has also taken hold in pop culture, where male protagonists in tech-focused TV shows like “Mr. Robot” and “Silicon Valley” are celebrated for their ingenuity over their brawn.
With these kinds of role models, young boys are increasingly poised to answer the call of tomorrow’s STEAM (science, technology, engineering, the arts and math) workforce. With our support, the same could hold true for young girls in future generations. There are many ways to take advantage of this opportunity - from promoting more prominent female role models to encouraging more inclusivity in STEAM education.
According to economic projections from the White House, there will be 2.4 million unfilled STEAM jobs in 2018. For women, that presents a tremendous opportunity — especially considering they only make up 29 percent of workers within the fields of science and engineering even though they make up half of the workforce. To bridge this gap, we teamed up with Ford to show you what can be done to support women so that, by 2030, women can play a large role in the next generation of STEAM professionals.
Impactful changes in K-12 education, higher learning, and entertainment can create new opportunities for women in STEAM. Now that you know how we can support women to consider a STEAM career, discover the Ford STEAM experience to learn how Ford is doing its part in shaping the next generation of STEAM professionals.