Strategies for Retaining Female Engineers Women earned 49 percent of allscience and engineering bach

Strategies for Retaining Female Engineers Women earned 49 percent of allscience and engineering bachelor’s degrees, 43 percent of science and engineering master’s degrees and 40 percent of science and engineering doctoral degrees in 2014, reports the National Student Clearinghouse. Yet women make up less than 25 percent of the STEM workforce and only 10.5 percent of employed engineers. Researchers have found that workplace culture and women’s personal character traits play major roles in retention. So what are the things that make a difference?Women prefer workplaces that are collaborative rather than hierarchical, explains Heather Metcalf, director of research and analysis at the Association for Women in Science. And they are more apt to stay in work environments that allow for creativity and flexibility, she says.Conversely, women are fleeing companies that encourage employees to practically live at work, she says. While 71 percent of women with young children work outside the home, according to the Pew Research Center, women still shoulder more responsibility for child care and elder care than men. So living at the office to show they are committed to their jobs is not an option.IEEE Spectrum -- source link

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