Globally, women in STEM – science, technology, engineering and mathematics – fields continue to be to be underrepresented, accounting for just about 30% of researchers. In India, the figure is even lower – only 14% of the 2.8 lakh Indian researchers are women. The STEM fields in India, it can be said, are facing a talent deficit of sorts, considering women regularly outshine men academically.

For women, discrimination begins at a young age. Girls with an interest in STEM subjects grow up battling the stubborn perception that their gender simply doesn’t have the requisite aptitude, even though studies have debunked this myth. Even so, at the academic level, women’s participation is healthy. The attrition starts when women begin their careers. A combination of factors keeps women from sustaining a career in STEM. According to a Kelly Global Workforce Insights (KGWI) survey, 81% of women in STEM fields in India perceive a gender bias in performance evaluation, affecting their career progression. The burden of dual responsibility – of home and work – also disproportionately lies on women’s shoulders, making them quit their jobs as they reach the mid-career level. These challenges are especially acute for women hailing from smaller towns and low-income households.

Intervention at the education level – in the form of upskilling initiatives, networking opportunities, internships, mentorship programs etc. – can go a long way in helping women better prepare for a STEM career. This is where the industry can step in and make a difference. The stories of Archana, Pavithra and Anjali – who received career support from Siemens – show how industry interventions can aid women’s progress in STEM careers.

Archana Kumari

Archana exemplifies the fortitude of women in STEM. She works as a switchboard operator in Bihar, away from her eight-year-old son who resides with her mother in Delhi. A STEM career has provided an avenue for a second income to Archana, whose husband is a CRPF personnel stationed away from home. She is an everyday hero, working tirelessly to earn enough to settle down and reunite her family. Archana is an example of what women can achieve with adequate support. Her career got a boost with the support of the world-renowned Dual VET program implemented at government ITIs by Siemens jointly with Tata STRIVE.

Dual Vocational Educational Training (Dual VET) is a futuristic model of training involving project-based learning interlocked with theory and workshops; further augmented with soft-skills to develop an industry ready workforce. Apprentices trained under the globally proven German model of Dual VET are more capable, contributing to higher productivity and long-term growth prospects of MSMEs.

In fact, countries employing Dual VET training effectively have low youth unemployment rates.

Anjali Sorte

An enthusiastic 18-year-old, Anjali is characteristic of the young Indian women who dream of a career in STEM. She is hard working and ambitious too, taking extra classes alongside living the life of a teenager. She values a career in engineering as it offers both a theoretical and a practical understanding of how the world works. Her career got a head start after she enrolled in Siemens Technical Academy, which provides technical Dual VET training. She now works at building technologies and hopes to become a team leader one day.

For ambitious students like Anjali, the Siemens Technical Academy provides a great stepping stone into the industry. It follows the German Dual-VET methodology which mandates 80% practical exposure. In its work-integrated training, students are acquainted with the emerging skills in 3D printing, smart lighting, robotics etc. It also equips them with the crucial soft skills needed to thrive in the job market – communication skills, presentation skills, writing etc.

Pavithra

An engineer in an automotive MNC, Pavithra had to overcome many social and personal barriers to reach where she is today. Her parents were initially apprehensive of her pursuing a career in STEM because of their perception that it was a male-dominated field. There was also her own low confidence to deal with. With the help of the training she received in the Siemens Scholarship Program, Pavithra has now emerged as a calm, composed and thorough professional. Seeing her progress, even her parents are now proud of her success.

For Pavithra, the Siemens Scholarship Program proved to be much more than just a scholarship. Through the internships, training and mentorship she received from Siemens, she was able to overcome her confidence issues and eventually rise to professional demands. The Siemens Scholarship Program offers scholarships across four years to meritorious engineering students from economically-disadvantaged families. About 50% of the scholarship seats are reserved for girls.

Women like Archana, Anjali and Pavithra are no less than trailblazers, paving the way to a STEM career for the future generation of girls in their families. Their inspiring stories of #WomEngineering show that with proper training and support, such as by Siemens, women can embark on and sustain STEM careers, regardless of their background or life situation.

Through its Dual VET training, scholarship programs and upskilling programs, Siemens is enabling the creation of a skilled and digitally literate workforce and supporting #WomEngineering, to lead Indian industries to a future of digitalisation. For more information, visit here.

This article was produced by the Scroll marketing team on behalf of Siemens and not by the Scroll editorial team.