Engineering: Program for working mums
By Julia Stirling
A program specifically designed to address low levels of female participation in engineering is targeting women who are returning to work, or who are seeking a career change, as part of a strategy to address the sector’s skills shortage.
According to last year’s Scoping the Future report from the Australian National Engineering Taskforce, women make up only 16 per cent of the commencing undergraduate students in engineering and 9.5 per cent of those with tertiary qualifications in engineering who are working in engineering or related occupations.
Greg Guppy, director of Challenger Institute of Technology’s Australian Centre for Energy and Process Training in Perth, says the program will give women an opportunity to gain an insight into the oil, gas and resources sector, and to venture into areas they may not have considered.
The certificate III in engineering (technical MEM30505) gives participants an overview of careers in engineering before they choose a career pathway. They learn the fundamentals of design and computer-aided drawings, and gain an introduction to engineering and computing as well as basic engineering economics and project management, among other topics.
The course started in the second semester last year; participants had access to female mentors and were offered flexible study options to fit around their other commitments.
They received scholarships to the value of $1000 (sponsored by Chevron and BHP Billiton).
Eleven of the 13 participants completed the course in December and eight of the students are now enrolled in the diploma in civil and structural engineering, while one student opted for the diploma in mechanical engineering. Students who complete the advanced diploma are granted advanced standing on a pathway to a university degree.
The program is taken over 20 weeks, three days a week for five to seven hours a day. Guppy says there is some flexibility around the start and finish times: “Participants aren’t locked into a rigid nine-to-five delivery pattern that most males can accommodate.”
The required entry qualifications are the equivalent of Year 10 maths, science and literacy, but additional support is available for disadvantaged students.
Toni-Marie Smith is a part- time working mother who completed the program, and this year progressed to the diploma in civil and structural engineering. She loves a challenge and says, “I found the course interesting and the other women lovely. There were women from all over the world in the class, it was great. What I found challenging [initially] was getting back into studying.
“The lecturers were helpful and supportive to our needs [and] staff were there to assist us in class if any student required further help.”
Students who complete certificate III and enrol in the diploma in engineering can specialise in a range of areas such as design and drafting, civil engineering, electrical and instrumentation, environmental engineering, process plant engineering and mechanical engineering.
Guppy says there are plenty of job prospects for women considering a career in engineering. Most of the engineering jobs are in the city, and he thinks flexible work arrangements would be available to women, to fit around their family commitments.
The program will be run again in the second semester this year, and the institute is currently designing it to include regional areas in Western Australia.
Article from The Australian. May 2011.
