As the nation faces a STEM worker crisis, renewed focus is paid to the shortage of young women who pursue engineering career paths in higher ed and who go on to remain in the engineering field. But rather than focusing on the factors that push young women out of engineering, researchers are instead looking at factors contributing to women’s success in engineering education and careers.
DiscoverE, which works to involve more girls and women in engineering, partnered with Concord Evaluation Group to publish Despite the Odds: Young Women who Persist in Engineering, a comprehensive literature review that pinpoints commonalities contributing to girls pursuing, and then remaining in, engineering education paths and careers.
Related content: Why do women leave engineering?
While there is much attention paid to the factors and events that push women off STEM education paths and out of engineering careers, there is less of a focus on the factors that help these disciplines retain women.