Being a Woman in Engineering
At large , men continue to dominate the STEM workforce . According to the U . S . Census Bureau , while women make up nearly half of the U . S . workforce , they only account for 27 % of all STEM workers .
Research conducted by the Society of Women Engineers , the world ’ s largest , not-for-profit educational and service organization dedicated to empowering women to succeed in engineering , showed that only 13 % of engineers in the workforce are women . Although the technology industry has been evolving , it is no secret that engineering is a maledominated sector .
“ It ’ s definitely changing ,” says Hunt . “ I still don ’ t think there are nearly enough women , but today , there are more than when I went to school . I think the most important piece of advice for women pursuing engineering is to believe in their own abilities . Second , find a mentor . Have somebody to help you grow as a person and have your back . Have faith in yourself and get somebody there that can help you navigate whenever your faith isn ’ t as strong as what it needs to be .”
Newell has mostly worked in small towns where , on average , people have not seen women , or people of color , working in engineering roles .
“ There aren ’ t a lot of minorities in this field . I remember at my first plant manager assignment , I had a lady in the community that I had to visit , and she said , ‘ Wow , you don ’ t look like a plant manager ,’ and I said to her , ‘ We come in all shapes , sizes and colors , and we ’ re very diverse , just like everybody else ,’” Rine says . “ So , that has been a bit of a challenge at times . The best thing I can do is come to work , be my best self and show them that I am intelligent . I have my reputation and integrity to back me up .”
Newell advises young engineers to grow on a technical and interpersonal level .
“ Look for opportunities to grow your interpersonal skills , whether it ’ s working on the United Way committee or doing some type of company outreach ,” Newell says . “ The first thing I did was volunteer at a domestic violence shelter . I continue to do that to this day , and I ’ m excited that my company allows me the opportunity to do that .”
Chemours has committed to building a diverse global workforce of 50 % women by 2030 and working toward a goal of a 20 % ethnically diverse U . S . employee base .
“ At Chemours , we are much above the West Virginia workforce participation of females ,” Rine says . “ In terms of females here , although it ’ s male-dominated , there are still significantly more women working here compared to the state participation level . I think you just have to be confident in your skills and know that you ’ re going to land on your feet , and if you don ’ t know , you ’ ll figure it out .” •
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