How the teaching gap reflects the gender gap within STEM

With International Women’s Day on the horizon, it is important to once again bring the issue of the gender gap in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) to the top of the agenda to highlight how women can solve the digital skills crisis.

A recent report from McKinsey revealed that 31 per cent of girls studying tech-based subjects at school in Europe do not pursue STEM fields at university and, on the whole, only 19 per cent taking tech-related bachelor’s degrees in Europe are women.

This comes as a shock when as of February 2022, over a third of FTSE100, FTSE250 and FTSE350 directorships were occupied by women. This appears seemingly progressive when viewing statistics of women in tech – but unfortunately, only to a certain degree.

Women make up 50 per cent of the UK workplace, but less than 15 per cent of STEM jobs. All parties need to review why this is happening, including at an educational level. If girls are dropping out of tech-based subjects at school level, then STEM becomes an even more challenging career path.

Existing Inequalities

Between school and university, the number of girls taking STEM subjects drops by 18 per cent, and a further 15 per cent between university and the workplace. These two factors limit the talent pipeline, often occurring as a result of gender biases being exposed throughout each layer of education.

From a young age, girls are exposed to conscious and unconscious bias when partaking in STEM subjects at school, which becomes a confidence killer and can destroy their interest in pursuing a future career.

It appears even bleaker in the workplace, where 32 per cent of white women and nearly 50 per cent of women who identify as Black or Latina and hold professional STEM positions report they have been mistaken for administrative or custodial staff.

Unequal growth opportunities and lower wages also articulate the social and financial barriers women face. On average within technical roles, only 52 women are promoted to manager for every 100 men.

A Lack Of Representation In STEM

In school, the male to female ratio in STEM classes can be off-putting, and this is again mirrored in the workplace where studies revealed that 72 per cent of women are outnumbered by a 2:1 ratio. Moreover, 26 per cent claim they are outnumbered by at least a 5:1 ratio.

With this ratio removed, research shows that STEM subjects are often popular in all-girls schools, for example, a sixth-form in Surrey released findings that 60 per cent of their students are currently undertaking STEM subjects.

Females are not avoiding the field due to a lack of academic achievement – research has found that girls have been seen to consistently outperform boys in STEM subjects at GCSE and A-level.

But it is apparent that women need a clear career path post-course to carry on into the tech industry. Available opportunities should be made more visible, for example, the second programme in FDM’s SheLivesTech initiative is targeted at final year students, offering a one-day taster course to help navigate their future career options and get a preview for working within the tech industry.

Inspiring The Next Generation Of Female Talent

When attempting to map out a career path, a greater number of female role models in STEM should be celebrated to promote the success and benefits of the tech industry.

The more role models and opportunities women see at an early age, the more likely they are to pursue a career in STEM. Even female teachers in STEM subjects can act as role models and help stimulate interest into the field.

However, the next generation of female talent does not necessarily have to be from the new generation – women of all ages and backgrounds should be able to launch their careers in STEM. Reskilling and upskilling opportunities thus afford all with the tools they need to enter, or re-enter, the tech industry.

For example, after dropping STEM subjects at school, women may still wish to pursue a career in tech in the future, or a mother may want to go back to work after having children. Situations such as these is an area that schemes like FDM’s Returners Programme cater for, where 75 per cent of the returner intake is female.

Tackling The Teaching Gap To Tackle The Gender Gap

By 2027, the talent gap is estimated to be between 1.4 million to 3.9 million people in Europe. This could be resolved by accumulating the number of women in tech to represent 45 per cent of the sector, adding around 3.9 million women to the sector within the next three years.

Despite the low figures, there has been progression, and a report from UCAS found that the number of women applying to IT courses has increased by 82 per cent over the past decade. Solving the gap is not an overnight process, but continual progress over the coming years will go a long way to closing the divide.

The best ways to address the teaching gap problem would therefore be to challenge early biases, place more efforts upon retention and promote the benefits of technology to keep women engaged in STEM.