Jobs for the Girls

Launch of a new career guidance CD for schools, featuring women role models with exciting and varied careers in science, engineering and technology

"Young women who want to play golf professionally and take on the boys, can now look to Annika Sorenstam. And if they want to be a Formula One racing driver, they have a wonderful Irish role model in Sarah Kavanagh", says WITS chairperson, Dr Eucharia Meehan.

"But what if they're interested in engineering? If they've never met a woman engineer, then they might conclude engineering was men's work, and turn away from an interesting career. And that would be their loss, indeed everyone's loss, because we would be deprived of that young woman's potentially important contribution."

Meet a poisons expert who works as a health and safety inspector, a forensic scientist who helps solve crimes, an engineer who has designed power systems for space satellites, a meteorologist with a special interest in sea conditions, and a software developer who is fluent in several (computing) languages.

A new career guidance CD, produced by WITS (Women in Technology & Science), profiles 40 women who have varied and exciting careers in science, engineering and technology. The project was launched in Dublin on May 28th 2003 by Noel Dempsey TD, Minister for Education & Science.

This 'role model' project aims to encourage more schoolgirls to consider studying and working in the relatively non-traditional areas of science, engineering and technology. The initiative is funded by the Department of Education & Science, under the National Development Plan (NDP).

The 40 women 'role models' on the CD tell their own story, the subjects they studied at school and college, their career path, and what their day-to-day life is like. A copy of the CD is going to every post-primary school, so that schoolgirls around the country can (virtually) meet these women, and learn what their work entails. The contents are also on the WITS website (here) .

"It's real proof that science, engineering and technology subjects can give you a passport to a wonderful career", Dr Meehan said. "These women work in industry, business, research, the health services and social and community applications. Everything from production manager at a chocolate factory and sound engineer at RTE, to a road design engineer and a science journalist."

The role model initiative has been welcomed by the Institute of Guidance Counsellors. The institute's president, Mr Brian Mooney, said: "We need to get across the message to girls at school that there are women working in these non-traditional areas." Mr Mooney, who is also on the board of the national Expert Skills Group (addressing the fall off in students studying science and technology), added that "it is very important that we also encourage both girls and boys to study science".

The transition year class from St Dominic's girls school in Ballyfermot, Dublin, attended the launch. The school is currently expanding its science teaching: it recently introduced Leaving Cert chemistry (in addition to biology), and all students must do science at first year. Yet, according to Ms Mia Delaney, one of the school's guidance counsellors, the role model project is still needed: "Women are not traditionally to the forefront in science and engineering careers, so we need more role models for girls to emulate."

Another major WITS initiative which began recently, is the 'Talent Bank' project, aimed at improving women's participation in decision-making in science and technology. This year-long nationwide trawl to identify talented women willing to serve on State board and councils; the resulting panel of 200-plus names will be published next Spring, and circulated to nominating agencies. The Talent Bank is funded by the Department of Justice, Equality & Law Reform, under the NDP.

WITS is a voluntary association, founded in 1990, that actively promotes women's participation in science, engineering and technology (SET) through initiatives at school, higher education, national and European levels. It also provides a support and information network for women members.

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