Volvo Group is hosting a digital forum open to the public on October 26 called #tecHER which is aimed at empowering women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields.
The interactive and online event will give attendees a chance to network and meet role models in STEM careers, which have a large gender imbalance. Speakers include representatives from several global companies, including Volvo Group, Colgate-Palmolive, EY, Sandvik Group, Schneider Electric, Starburst Aerospace, Universal Music, and Walmart.
Volvo Construction Equipment is hosting a #tecHER watch party at its Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, campus for employees and invited local high school and college students, teachers, and career counsellors to attend. The forum will also be live online and available for replay afterwards.
#tecHER events are one of the ways Volvo Group is trying to address workplace diversity. Research shows that groups with diverse perspectives and flexibility in thinking almost always outperform homogeneous groups and lead to higher levels of creativity, innovation, and organizational agility. Yet, STEM fields are primarily male-dominated.
Globally, women represent 28 percent of engineering graduates and less than 33 percent of tech sector employees. In the U.S., women make up 48 percent of the workforce but only 27 percent of STEM workers.
"Technology continues to force industries to adapt and transform, and in order to successfully transform you need a diverse workforce with people who can bring different perspectives to tackle and solve problems," said Dana Skovrinskie, head of industrial engineering and manufacturing engineering at Volvo Construction Equipment, Shippensburg. "We know manufacturing and technology have less diversity than other industries. Increased female representation will help bring in new individuals who may currently not be interested in the construction equipment industry, but whose talents will benefit us all in the future."
