Try It, You May Like It: Some Jobs Are Opportunity For Women in The Workplace
Women in the next decade will have opportunities for growth in the pharmaceutical sector.
Butcher, baker, candlestick maker.
The 18th century English nursery rhyme about three men in a tub and their occupations has little to do with what contemporary women in the workplace claim as careers both in the U.S. and abroad. But maybe women planning their career paths should be thinking outside of the box– or bathtub.
A new report from the Institute for Women’s Policy Research shows that middle skill jobs, defined as those earning women from $35,000 up to $105,000 per year and requiring in some cases only a high school education, have real opportunities for women.
“With some of the most important sectors in the U.S. economy lacking enough skilled workers to meet demand, there is an opportunity for women to obtain roles that have traditionally been held by men,” said Chauncy Lennon, Head of Workforce Initiatives, JPMorgan Chase, a partner in the study. “Increasing access to new kinds of skills training for women would go a long way in tackling their under-representation in good manufacturing, IT and transportation jobs.”
Women hold only 7 percent of the manufacturing jobs in this country, where that sector will have an availability of 533,000 jobs within the next 10 years. In information technology, women hold 29 percent of the jobs, and another 240,000 job openings will be available within a decade. The biggest possibility for growth for women in the workplace is in transportation and logistics, according to the report, where 1.3 million jobs will be available by 2024, and only 9 percent of the current jobs are held by women.
By 2024, a total of 2 million jobs will be available in these growing sectors. The site, womenandgoodjobs.com, is aimed at helping women find these target jobs and understand the skills needed to jump into a new sector.
The lack of women in these sectors is a result of a number of factors that women can consider. According to a new report from McKinsey & Co., of 30,000 employees at 118 American companies across nine industries, there are fields where women in the workplace are nearly absent and not welcome.
“With women able to enter every job in the military, work construction, and run governments, it seems almost silly that the automotive and technology sectors have all-but locked them out—and even more absurd that industries such as hospitality and retail aren’t doing more to level the playing field for women,” writes Jillian Kramer in Glamour.
“If things don’t change, we’ll just have to take our talents elsewhere.”
“This problem usually arises from recruiting challenges or pre-pipeline problems, particularly the low graduation rates of women in industry feeder programs such as engineering, where they receive about 20 percent, 24 percent, and 23 percent of bachelor’s, master’s, and doctor’s degrees, respectively,” according to McKinsey & Co.
Challenges for women in the workplace for promotion and parity exist in logistics, transportation, healthcare, pharmaceuticals and hospitality, the report states. But where some see obvious challenges, others may see opportunities.
The lack of women entrepreneurs overall and particularly in some sectors prompted a call to action in the United Kingdom from Elite Business Magazine for women to think beyond “food, fashion and flowers” as industries to enter. According to the HSBC Essence of Enterprise report, 28 percent of the UK businesses owners are women, compared to women comprising 38 percent of U.S. business owners.
“The Women’s Business Council estimates that this country would have an extra one million entrepreneurs if women set up businesses at the same rate as men. That volume of new businesses would transform our economy,” writes author Frances Dickens.
Emerging technologies may be a bright spot on the career horizon for many women, asserts Amanda McKenna of the digital agency Zone in The Guardian. Citing specifically 3D printing, virtual reality and GPS technology as new frontiers, she writes: “I am so proud to be a woman working in tech. Thanks to the digital revolution women are equipped and empowered to affect change like never before.”
McKenna adds, “The Internet has been central to driving the fourth wave of feminism – through factors such as exchange of information, access to investment opportunities and the democratization of data. Now other emerging technologies have the potential to have a similarly profound effect.”
Some women have made it a life choice to think of careers outside the norm and become a leader in a chosen field.
Jan Becker is CEO of Becker Helicopters, a $20 million Australian business. She is also a pilot, registered nurse and midwife. On her career choices, Becker told Women’sAgenda.com: “I did have a moment when I was working for a large medical company and at my performance review the person asked what my ambitions were and I said to be CEO. The person just looked at me with shock as if it was almost comical to even consider that. At that moment I knew I would pursue that path of my own destiny because I knew I would not limit myself.”
And in more mold-breaking news for women, President Barack Obama recently announced the pending appointment of the first female combatant commander in U.S. military history. Air Force General Lori Robinson received the nod and will head the U.S. Northern Command.
According to CNN: “Brooke Stedman, the deputy director of Women in International Security, a non-government organization that supports women in the field of international peace and security, praised the move, telling CNN, ‘Our modern military is proving its ability to adapt to changing societal values and appoint officers with the greatest qualifications, regardless of their gender.’”
Whatever career path you choose, perhaps in fields that are less traditional for women, be sure to maintain your cool as a leader.
According to R. Kress writing in Ivy Exec, there are five key habits you want to break. You do not want to always have the answers; be the first to speak; be all action; sweat the small stuff or lose control. That is priceless advice that works for women in the workplace holding any job.
About the Author
Michele Weldon is editorial director of Take The Lead, an award-winning author, journalist, emerita faculty in journalism at Northwestern University and a senior leader with The OpEd Project. @micheleweldon www.micheleweldon.com