SENEDIA: More Women in STEM Careers Needed to Meet National Security Challenges

MIDDLETOWN, RI – The Southeastern New England Defense Industry Alliance (SENEDIA) released a statement today citing the disproportionately small percentage of women working in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) careers and encouraging more young women to take up these critical fields of study.

According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, although women represent nearly half of the overall U.S. workforce, they hold only a quarter of STEM jobs. More specifically, women comprise only 8.8 percent of electronic engineers and 6.3 percent of mechanical engineers. In addition to making important technical contributions, women in STEM careers earn 33 percent more than in non-STEM jobs.

“As we celebrate Women in History month and all that women have contributed to our nation, we must recognize that we need more women to enter STEM careers – particularly in the national security and defense sector,” said Molly Donohue Magee, SENEDIA’s executive director. “To successfully defend against the emerging threats facing the nation, from cybersecurity to undersea technology and beyond, we need more of our brightest minds engaged in the effort. Many of those minds belong to young women.”

“One of our industry’s largest challenges is finding employees with the critical STEM skills required to solve complex national security problems,” said Kelly Mendell, owner of Mikel, Inc., a women-owned, Middletown defense company specializing in undersea warfare systems. “With women now representing over half of all college students in the country, it is truly critical to our national security that more graduate with degrees in STEM fields.

It’s certainly worth their while – women in STEM will have high-paying careers that make an important difference to our national security.”
To encourage more students to enter STEM fields, SENEDIA offers annual scholarships of up to $1000 to local college students studying STEM fields. To meet minimum eligibility requirements, students must be: a permanent resident of the Southeastern New England area (Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts); currently matriculating at an accredited College or University located in United States; and focusing their studies in a STEMrelated subject area.

“SENEDIA is proud to offer scholarships to support and encourage local students preparing for careers in STEM fields,” continued Magee. “Young women are strongly encouraged to apply.”

Application materials and more information on the scholarships can be found at www.senedia.org/newsfeatures/scholarship-program/. The deadline for submission is May 1, 2015.

– About SENEDIA –
The Southeastern New England Defense Industry Alliance (SENEDIA) is a 501c(6) organization formed in 2002 to identify, champion and coordinate initiatives that contribute to the national security of the United States and the preservation and growth of the regional defense sector. SENEDIA’s membership is comprised of defense-oriented organizations hailing from Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, representing industry, academia and non-profit interests. More information on SENEDIA can be found at www.senedia.org.

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