Engineering A Change
The Age
Wednesday November 16, 2005
ENGINEERING is slowly but surely leaving behind the the perception that it's a male profession.
According to data from the Association of Professional Engineers, Scientists and Managers Australia, a slightly higher percentage of female graduates than males from the past two years were employed in the profession, and average starting salaries for women beginning this year were also higher.Geoff Fary, acting chief executive of the association, says demand for female engineering graduates is growing."I think the industry is increasingly aware that there has been a gender imbalance historically and they are endeavouring to correct that in recruitment policies," he says.The recent trend to pay women graduates higher salaries is because relatively few women are going into technology-based professions such as engineering, says Mr Fary, and those who do undertake engineering as a profession are often attracted to the more highly paid disciplines such as environmental engineering."I suspect they're not attracted there because the salaries are up - that's a happy coincidence."The association's 2005 Graduate Engineer Employment Survey Report shows that 82.1 per cent of women who graduated in 2003 and 2004 found employment in their profession, compared with 81.9 per cent of men.The survey - conducted in May and based on the responses of 625 recent graduates - also revealed that annual starting salaries for women starting work in 2005 ranged between $38,000 and $56,000, compared with between $36,697 and $53,000 for men (the mean salary was $44,312 for men and $44,938 for women).This is in contrast to the situation in 2003 when male starting salaries ranged between $35,000 and $50,000 and female salaries between $34,000 and $48,000.Mr Fary says the association, along with the industry as a whole, was working to have more women enter the profession to help counter a looming "enormous" shortage of skilled professionals."You talk to the big engineering companies and they will tell you that they are only just able to keep pace with demand, let alone that which is likely to come on stream," he says.Exacerbating the problem, he says, is the ageing engineering workforce, with many baby boomers expected to be looking for retirement in the next few years, and the lack of interest among older secondary school students to undertake maths and science subjects.As part of its bid to encourage more women into the profession, the association has established a women's network and introduced a scheme that connects younger women contemplating engineering, or who have just started in the profession, with successful women who can act as mentors.Joan Ko, an engineer working at global professional services company GHD after completing a degree at Monash University last year, says it was her interest in the environment that led her to undertake an engineering degree. "I wanted to do something that aligned with my values," she says. "I wanted to wake up and contribute to society - as cliche as that sounds - and I feel that's what happens in my professional life now. Every day I'm working on environmental problems - things that are a bit more strategic, a bit long term - and that interests me on personal level."Ms Ko first worked at GHD on a work experience placement while studying at Monash.She says she was not introduced to many female engineering role models while studying but she was never discouraged after choosing a career in the profession.Recalling some graffiti she saw at the university urging female engineering students not to stand for "all the abuse", she notes: "I just looked at the graffiti and thought, 'it's never happened to me'."Elsewhere, the association's survey shows that engineering graduates with studies in environmental, civil/structural and electrical engineering had the highest rates of employment, while chemical engineering had the lowest rate. -- DAVID ADAMS
© 2005 The Age