Gender and Career Decision Making - Assignment Example

A brief overview: This strategic plan is informed by the fact that education in engineering, science, and technology is divided along gender lines. Although women fought for equality and achieved it in the 19th century, most of the gender imbalance witnessed in the science, technical and engineering fields is of women’s own doing. By failing to take advantage of opportunities provided to them through selecting careers that have overwhelming male dominance, women are continually left out on benefits available therein. As Wender (2004) observes, vocational studies are especially affected by the gender-divide phenomenon where young men proceed to take up courses in technical design, electronics, and architecture among others while girls take up art courses such as hairdressing, beauty, or fashion-design. While careers in arts can be rewarding, it is worth noting that their rewards (at least financially) are lower, compared to rewards attained in the technical careers. Also worth noting is the fact that the skills gap in technical careers can be filled if more women embrace such careers. As Ginzberg et al. (1966) observe, filling the skills gap will no doubt boost the performance of any country in the global economy. As Mohd, Salleh and Mustapha (2010) note, “making the wrong decision in choosing a career would not only affect one’s psychology and emotion, but their economy [financial future] as well.” (p. 55). Ginzberg et al. (1966) also note that a young person’s inability to choose a satisfactory or appropriate career only leads to frustrations later in life. Ramlee and Maimun (2009) further observe that young people fail to make the connection between academic and career related skill in high schools mainly because they do not receive the necessary career guidance from the respective high schools. Based on the above information, the girls’ high school has laid down the following strategic plan with an intention of boosting the rate of women taking up technical, engineering, and science-related courses. The strategic plan seeks to address the main issues that hinder female students fostering an interest in technical or engineering related careers. Overall, the plan will address the lack of self-efficacy among students, and the lack of encouragement in the classroom as Wender (2004) identifies them as the main causes of low female involvement in technical careers. Institution: A girls’ high school Mission Statement: To impart awareness on female students that they too can succeed in male dominated careers. Vision statement: Producing female high school graduates who are well equipped to excel in careers that have traditionally been occupied by the male gender. The girl’s high school values Dedication: the girls’ high school is dedicated to empowering young women to become successful and patriotic people in the society. Collaboration: The girls’ high school will work with partners from government institutions, as well as the private sector in order to make the organizational goals a reality. Impact: The girls’ high school focuses in critical issues hindering the empowerment of young women. By addressing such issues, the school influences development, the national interests, as well as the global welfare. Entrepreneurship: The girls’ high school is open to new ideas that encourage entrepreneurship. Further, the school encourages people to adopt prudent use of resources during the pursuit for success. Compassion: The girls’ high school focuses on bettering the society, personal development and enhancing overall human welfare. Integrity and inclusion: The girls’ high school upholds ethical standards, and is committed to being an institution for talented girls drawn from different backgrounds. The institution seeks to challenge girls both individually and collectively towards success. Goals: i. Create awareness among female students on the need to foster interest in what has been perceived as male careers Strategies -Conduct gender awareness training among students -Train staff members on ways of encouraging female students to foster an interest in technical and engineering courses -Establish mentoring schemes for students interested in technical and engineering courses -Present positive role models who work in technical and engineering careers Timing: This should be an ongoing undertaking Measurable outcome: The number of female students interested in technical and engineering related subjects ii. Train teachers on ways they can foster in order to encourage the female students to be more interested in technical and engineering subjects Strategies - Conduct a culture analysis among students and teachers in order to identify their perceptions about females working in careers that are traditionally perceived as male-oriented. -Identify skill gaps in the teaching fraternity that need to be enhanced -encourage teachers to interact with the female students more in order to identify girls who are talented in technical and engineering careers, and hence mentor them on the same. Timing: The beginning of every school year Measurable outcomes: -Teachers’ willingness to encourage talented students to take up technical careers -The number of female students interested in technical and engineering careers iii. Create awareness among students about the benefits of working in technical and engineering careers. Strategies -Invite or commission career advisers to mentor girls about the advantages of taking up technical and engineering careers -Invite employers to address how the technical skills gap can be filled, and the advantages that technical and engineering workers have -Invite gender equality organization to impart positive attitudes among the female students -Present positive role models of women who successfully work in male dominated careers Timeline Ongoing Measurable outcomes: The number of female students who have positive attitudes towards technical and engineering courses iv. Boost women recruitment to technical and engineering jobs Strategies -Enhance female student’s confidence concerning their potential to perform well in technical and engineering careers - Offer career guidance to students as a way of discouraging gender-based career taking -Prepare female students for some of the challenges they may face in a ‘man’s world’ -Equip female students with the knowledge needed to handle resistance from their families or the society when they take up careers perceived to belong to men -Advice female students on viable methods of balancing family and career responsibilities -Advice female students on how to handle harassment at work - empower the female students on how best to handle hostile workplace cultures that favour men to women. Time line Ongoing Measurable Outcomes -Female students’ preparedness level to take up technical and engineering careers despite the challenges References Wender, I. (2004). “Relation of technology, science, self-concept, interest, and gender.” Journal of Technology Studies, 30(3), 43-51. Mohd, F., Salleh, A.M., & Mustapha, R. (2010). “The influence of personal and contextual aspects on career decision making of Malaysian technical students.” Proceeding of the 1st UPI International Conference on Technical and Vocational Education and Training, Bandung, Indonesia, 56-63. Ramlee, M., & Maimun, A. L. (2009). Diverse learners in vocational and technical education: Education for Diverse Learners. Serdang: Universiti Putra Press. Ginzberg, E., Ginsburg, S. W., Axelrad, S., & Herma, J. L. (1966). Occupational choice: An approach to a general theory. New York: Columbia University Press. Read More