Women make up just 34% of STEM jobs. Look to college campuses to close the gap

To drive diversity, equity and inclusion efforts forward in the professional world, STEM industries will have to take their recruiting strategies right back to school. 

Women make up half of the total college-educated workforce in the U.S., but only 34% of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) sectors, according to a recent Gallup survey. When asked about their interest in STEM careers, 85% of Gen Z boys said they are very or somewhat interested, compared to 63% of young girls. When asked why they're not interested, girls were more likely to admit they didn't think they'd be good at it. 

"There is still a lack of awareness of what STEM careers are for young women," says Sara Gutierrez, chief science officer at SHL, a talent acquisition and management platform. "Oftentimes, when they think of STEM jobs, they think of robotics or coding and perhaps that doesn't resonate with all young girls. Companies need to bring different opportunities for young women so they can start to visualize themselves in these paths."

Read more: Why are employers still prioritizing the white male experience at work?

Without these early interventions from tech companies and recruiters, college-aged women are often set back from the start: While 54% of young men report learning about computer programming and coding in school, just 39% of women learn these same skills. Lacking this foundational knowledge, the gap continues to widen if the career services available to women in college aren't pointing them in the right direction. 

"Schools have teachers or advisers that have a perspective on what a career in STEM is and they'll teach as much as they know," Gutierrez says. "But if an organization can come in and partner with those schools, students get a more diverse range of perspectives and opportunities."

In Gutierrez's own college experience, where she pursued a degree in psychology, having access to the right people and the right resources was pivotal in eventually finding her footing in a career that would one day fall under the STEM umbrella. 

"I was very lucky as I progressed through my career path to have had very positive mentors," she says. "That's a really critical component of closing the skills gap and getting more women into STEM — making sure that they have exposure to those who can help guide them and show them what the world could be."

Read more: How UKG's chief people officer broke the glass ceiling to build the career of her dreams

By partnering with colleges and focusing certain recruiting strategies on graduates, companies can diversify the talent pipeline from the beginning, Gutierrez says. Hosting hands-on STEM related and female-focused events, activities and projects, or sponsoring university STEM clubs or competitions can encourage community engagement. 

While prioritizing inclusivity introduces invaluable diverse thoughts and solutions to an organization, companies should also see it as an opportunity to preserve the field altogether, as AI and automation continue to disrupt the space. 

"If we're going to future-proof the workforce, we really need to prioritize the skills that are related to those fields," Gutierrez says. "If there are fewer women entering the STEM fields, there's going to be a smaller pool of talent for those organizations. And when faced with a skills gap, those organizations are going to struggle to find qualified individuals with the skill sets that can help growth and innovation."