Boosting the number of girls opting for the technology program is crucial for increasing the representation of women in engineering and related STEM professions. Engineers of Sweden’s analysis reveals that if all municipalities had the same number of female applicants to the technology program as the top-performing municipality (Hammarö), Sweden would have up to 1,400 more women pursuing engineering education each year. This potential increase of almost 40 percent would significantly strengthen Sweden’s competitive and innovative power.
Engineers of Sweden have recently released a report examining the variation in girls’ interest in the technology program at the upper secondary level across municipalities in Sweden. In Sweden, students at the upper secondary level have a variety of programs to choose from. One of these is the technology program, which is a vital gateway to university-level engineering education. However, there’s a significant gender imbalance in this program right now, with boys making up roughly 83% (five out of six students) of the total students.
Understanding the Variation
David Ekstrand, a researcher, and policy officer from Swedish Engineers, was intrigued by the variation. He states, “In certain municipalities where the technology program is offered, not a single girl opts for it. However, in some other municipalities, girls make up to 10% of the students in the technology program. We were keen on identifying the key factors influencing girls’ decisions to choose the technology program by studying the differences between low and high-performing municipalities.”
“Our goal was to draw key learnings that can, over time, increase the number of girls choosing the technology program across the country,” says Ekstrand.
Key Factors Influencing Girls’ Choices
During the research, Ekstrand examined various socioeconomic factors, such as the overall income level, employment rate, education level, population density etc. that could explain the variation. Surprisingly, these were not the main drivers. The most significant factor is the geographical distance to the technical program. If the distance to a school offering a technical program is significantly longer than other national programs, it decreases the likelihood of girls choosing the technical program.
Another influential factor is the proportion of engineers in a community. Ekstrand explains, “Municipalities with a diverse and thriving business sector in technology and engineering fields can provide more role models for girls, leading to more girls applying to technical programs.”
As a final factor, Ekstrand mentions “Teknikcollege”, not to be confused with an educational institution. Teknikcollege is a Swedish collaboration among companies, municipalities, and education providers, aimed at enhancing the quality of technical education, especially at the secondary level. The presence of a Teknikcollege in a municipality could influence girls’ interest in the technical high school program as it increases perceived job opportunities due to the industry-collaborated certification of the technical program. Teknikcollege also works to boost children’s technology interest through elementary school initiatives.
Strategies for Increasing Interest in Technology
The study shows that municipalities can implement several strategies to increase interest in technology among girls and promote gender balance within the engineering profession. Enhancing educational offerings and ensuring that the municipality offers technical programs is the most critical part of the strategy. Other elements include promoting role models, fostering industry collaborations, increasing awareness about the engineering profession, and utilising initiatives like Teknikcollege or other industry partnerships.
Ekstrand is hopeful that these results can be used to develop strategies to increase women’s representation in engineering and related STEM professions at a national level. They can also be an inspiration to neighbouring countries.
Read the report in Swedish here tjejers-teknikintresse-februari-2024-ny-version.pdf (sverigesingenjorer.se)