RAKIA (sky)

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Objectives of the Initiative

Short term objectives:

• Exposing young females to non traditional professions, specifically mechanical engineering and electric and electronic engineering.
• Training of young females in non traditional fields of engineering
• Employment of such qualified females

Long term objectives:

• increase in numbers of individuals in specific professions
• increase in numbers and proportion of female professionals in specific fields
• increasing numbers of female graduates of practical engineering who later pursue studies as engineers

Which barriers in the career stages of females does the initiative address?

Girls often don’t get involved with technology and engineering during their socialisation, and do not consider it as a professional or academic viable option. Nor are they encouraged in high school to pursue these fields, even when the capability is there. Many girls do not take advanced courses in maths, and so exclude the possibility of studying sciences in higher education.

Demonstrable success of the initiative

Short term objectives:

• High school graduates with often no previous interest in, entered the professional training.
• Every year 200 females enter, and 100-160 graduate after two years, as qualified practical engineers

Long term objectives:

• A high percentage of these graduates graduated with very high grades and after completion of their military service completed a BSc in engineering.

The initiative fulfils the criteria “demonstrable success” and is hence good practice, because the girls targeted had not considered a profession in engineering due to their socialisation. The presentation of these fields as options, the scholarship and guarantee of employment which grants professional experience, and the single sex classes attracted females, and helped them succeed.

Motives for launching initiative

The initiative was implemented due to a shortage of qualified professionals in specific fields in practical engineering, to work for the IDF (Israel Defense Force).

Female candidates were identified as a potential resource for training for these professions, so that they might work in these fields in the course of their compulsory military service.

Equal opportunity measures in the organisation before the initiative

The initiative is connected with the demand for equal opportunities in government offices.
It was an outcome of the realization that the population of females could provide many professionals, if encouraged to choose this field.

Target group(s) of the initiative

Direct target group: School girls, shortly before graduation from high school, and the onset of their military service.

The specific scientific fields addressed: mechanical practical engineering, and electrical and electronic practical engineering

Implementation of the initiative

• The ministry of Industry, commerce and Employment, and the division of technical training was responsible for conducting the recruitment, and publicizing the project.
• The engineering training was conducted in institutes of higher education that teach these fields.
• The studies were conducted in special female only classes, set up specifically to cater for the young females students.
• Resources: The students were given grants that covered tuition, and when necessary were also given special courses in maths gratis, to compensate for avoidance of math in high school.
• The initiative is internally managed and supervised by the division of special programmes for special populations in the ministry of trade, commerce and employment. This division is responsible for the recruitment of the female students, the organization and implementation.
• Over 2000 high school female students and their parents are invited each year to meetings, that are held in schools of engineering, in different parts of Israel. There the engineering professions are presented, the project is described, and the terms are clarified. The potential students are encouraged to try a field they had never considered, and the attitude is one of empowerment .The professions are presented as beneficial to the future of the girls, in terms of employment, and later academic development.
• The voluntary decision to join the programme proves that the young females are favourably impressed, and readily convinced to start the course of study.
• As part of the studies the female students have sessions on women's empowerment and life choices.

Factors of success

• Recruitment: access to nation wide lists of school girls
• Resources: money for pre engineering courses in maths, and full tuition.
• Setting: single sex courses.
• Addressing issues of gendered socialization. Deferring military service till completion of studies.
• Professional experience: the graduates practice their technical professions during their compulsory military service.

Obstacles, barriers to implementation

Travel costs are a barrier: a greater number of female students would have liked to join, but cannot afford the travel expenses to the schools of engineering.

At present the engineering training is conducted in only three schools of engineering, and students need to commute on a daily basis.

Lessons Learned

Young females about to graduate from high school are at a stage where they can still be influenced by exposure to the applications of science to real life.

These pupils, with minimal background in science and maths can succeed in engineering granted they receive the appropriate encouragement and support.

Hence gender balance can be achieved by addressing and supporting females with no former appropriate academic qualifications, including those who showed no former inclination to chose these fields.

Benefit for the organisation

The Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Employment increases the number of young updated qualified practical engineers in the country. The shortage of such professionals is addressed, and the military (IDF)is the immediate employer, ensuring that the new graduates gain experience, and later stay in the profession, and aspire for higher education in the field.

Sustainability of the initiative

The initiative is now accepted as an organisational standard, offered annually, with a consistent increase in the number of interested girls. Reunions of graduates of the programme ensure sustainability of the concept.

The Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Employment is responsible for the continuation of the initiative, the recruitment, funding and training. The military is responsible for employing the graduates in their new professions.

Transferability

This initiative is transferable and depends basically on a policy decision.

When a shortage of professionals is noted, and the proportion of females is low due to gender stereotypes associated with that occupation or field of study, such pro-active measures can be helpful.

The professional training is the same as regular training of other groups, apart from being conducted in single sex groups, and therefore does not require special staff or setup.

Systematic Approach

The initiative is embedded in an agenda of promoting equal opportunities, and aspiring to gender balance in the organization, and in the training of individuals for future employment. This can also affect R&D indirectly, as the proportion of females in engineering is increased and includes females who otherwise would not have studied these fields. The fact that after their training as practical engineers and initial experience in the field, they choose to pursue higher degrees, makes them potential researchers.

Innovation

The initiative is not novel in the national context. In the past there have been situations in which a shortage of professionals in a certain field caused the potential employers or government to consider encouraging and helping train females to qualify to fill the positions.

Monitoring / Evaluation

Yes, in M.A. thesis

Summary: This initiative is good practice because...

This initiative is a good practice because it found the way to affect career choices of girls at age 17, despite the fact that their studies up to that point did not prepare them for professions in science or engineering. It has already proved to younger girls, future candidates, that age 18 is not too late to invest in themselves, and that they can develop an interest and skills in studying maths even then.

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