U.S. News: Op-Ed: Closing the Gender and Skills Gap in STEM
By Heidi Hartmann and Chauncy Lennon
With all the recent focus over the gender wage gap, we often overlook one of the simplest solutions: getting more women into good-paying jobs traditionally held by men.
Over the next decade, millions of good jobs will be available in expanding sectors such as construction, manufacturing, IT, and transportation. Yet, very few women hold positions in these industries. To make matters worse, as our economy is facing increasing demand for workers for what are sometimes called “newer middle” jobs, we are facing a number of challenges in growing the supply of workers with the right skills for these openings. Better integration of women into these middle-skill jobs can help close the gender gap while increasing the number of workers who can fill these high-demand positions.