5 Important Reasons Why Girls Should Do STEM

In recent years there’s been a real push for schools to include Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) in the curriculum. The focus on STEM has been international and students have embraced it. From classroom lessons to homeschoolers to extracurricular activities, young people have enjoyed the challenges that STEM brings.

There’s an extra effort though, to include girls in the STEM movement. This involves everything from STEM toys for girls to Scholarships for Women in STEM. have them excel at STEM subjects in school and take on a STEM career. But why is this important? Why should we make STEM such a big deal for girls?

Why Should Girls Do STEM?

1. That’s where the jobs are

All the predictions for future job markets are telling us that things are changing. Jobs that are popular now may not be around in years to come. And careers that will be important in the future may not even exist yet! It’s hard to prepare our young people for a fast-changing world, but we do know where the areas of high demand will involve science, technology, engineering and math skills.

Getting girls involved in these areas now will prepare them well for their future careers. We need to make sure girls have the STEM skills they need to be successful in the future job market. Developing a passion for STEM in their younger years will mean girls will be more likely to pursue a career in these areas of high demand.

2. Girls are underrepresented in STEM industries

With STEM predicted to be the way of the future, it’s concerning to know that females are currently well underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and maths industries. Figures vary, but women currently make up only one-quarter of people working in these industries. This gender imbalance can be addressed by getting young girls ready now to enter the STEM workforce in the future.

The push for girls in STEM is starting to see results. More and more girls are starting to choose STEM subjects at high school, enrol in a STEM course at university and take on a STEM career. With a continued focus on getting girls interested in STEM, the gender balance in the future may look a bit more even!

3. Girls are good at STEM!

Old ways of thinking that boys are good at STEM subjects and girls are better at nurturing and creative pursuits are out the window. We now know that girls are awesome at STEM! Girls perform just as well as their male classmates in their exams and go on to have successful careers in STEM industries. Of course, some of the world’s leading experts in these fields are women! While stereotypical beliefs and a lack of role models may have prevented girls embarking on STEM studies in the past, we’re now seeing girls get into STEM with enthusiasm and success!

4. STEM is fun

Girls enjoy STEM and why wouldn’t they? It’s fun, it’s challenging and it’s a great thing to get into. The hands-on nature of STEM activities really appeals to many girls and they also love the opportunities to get creative, work as part of a team and try out their problem-solving skills. Girls are becoming more involved in STEM activities outside of school with clubs such as coding, robotics, animation and LEGO reporting more female participation. Girls are no longer reluctant to get involved in these activities and that’s a good sign for the future.

5. Development of STEM skills

Beyond the core disciplines of science, technology, engineering and maths, STEM embodies so much more. These subject areas focus on key skills like critical thinking, problem solving and analysis. STEM requires collaboration, communication and teamwork. Planning is important and so is creativity and design. Whether girls eventually choose to go into a STEM career or not, the development of these skills will always be beneficial. Learning about STEM at a young age puts the foundations of these skills in place for the future, regardless of where their future study or career takes them!

Final thoughts

The push for girls in STEM has seen increased female participation in science, technology, engineering and maths both at school, at university and in the workforce. Girls have shown they are just as capable as their male classmates and colleagues in these subject areas. Efforts to encourage females in STEM must continue though so that girls are prepared for success in tomorrow’s job market. Girls should do STEM, they are good at STEM and they enjoy STEM. Attitudes toward girls in STEM are changing and that can only be a good thing.