Women leading the way in STEM

She is positive that change is coming, and is one of many helping to pave the way for tomorrow’s female scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians. “By 2040,” Tri-Mai reflects, “I see women in STEM increasing in number, and continuing to make a real difference.”

Vision and innovation from women like her help fuel our engines at Rolls-Royce. Recognising the contributions our female employees and board members bring to the table, we raised female participation on our board of directors by nearly 10 percent in the last year.

In Singapore, 20 percent of our senior managers are women. To ensure that this number continues growing, we are encouraging the next generation of women to consider STEM opportunities. We’ve partnered with the Singapore Girl Guides to launch a Science Investigator Badge and inspire girls to take an interest in science and technology. Our Generation Aerospace programme also strives to excite girls and boys about the possibilities of STEM, by bringing to life a future shaped by tomorrow’s technologies and solutions.

However, more can be done to encourage women to science and technology careers. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, less than half of female STEM graduates are pursuing related jobs. STEM jobs are crucial to furthering sustainable economic growth. By lifting female participation in the workforce by 8.5 percent, Asia’s economy could see a 30 percent growth in income per capita in just one generation1.

To stay ahead in today’s science and technology-driven world, companies must give gender parity due precedence as a business imperative. By 2020, computer and mathematical jobs alone are projected to hire 405,000 new employees globally. Different views and abilities improve the ingenuity of products and solutions.

Discover what the women of Rolls-Royce in Asia have to say about the female-fueled future of STEM.

1Source: A Model of Gender Equality and Economic Growth (Asian Development Bank, 2016)
2Source: The Future of Jobs (World Economic Forum, 2016)