7431 Views (as of 05/2023)
Icon for: Pamela Silvers

PAMELA SILVERS

Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College

Skilled Workers Get Jobs 2.0: Appalachian Impact

NSF Awards: 1501535

2018 (see original presentation & discussion)

Undergraduate

Who comes to mind when you say Technology Professional?  Steve Jobs?  Mark Zuckerberg?  Bill Gates?  Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College (A-B Tech) has received two NSF ATE Grants focused on recruiting and retaining females in identified STEM Programs.  Grants are entitled “Skilled Workers Get Jobs:  Recruiting Women and Retaining ALL Students“ and “Skilled Workers Get Jobs 2.0:  Appalachian Impact.“

In the identified programs the number of female student increased from 39 to 75 students in two years. This video will share strategies A¬B Tech implemented for recruiting.

This video has had approximately 597 visits by 459 visitors from 119 unique locations. It has been played 344 times as of 05/2023.
Click to See Activity Worldwide
Map reflects activity with this presentation from the 2018 STEM for All Video Showcase: Transforming the Educational Landscape website, as well as the STEM For All Multiplex website.
Based on periodically updated Google Analytics data. This is intended to show usage trends but may not capture all activity from every visitor.
show more
Discussion from the 2018 STEM for All Video Showcase (19 posts)
  • Icon for: Pamela Silvers

    Pamela Silvers

    Lead Presenter
    Instructor/Principal Investigator
    May 13, 2018 | 06:21 p.m.

    Thank you for your interest in the 2018 STEM for All Video Showcase. I hope you enjoy this video. You can't do something if you don't know about it. When I started college I thought my career options were teaching or nursing.  Unfortunately many women today don't know about all of the options open to them. This video shares some information on the rationale for our Picture Yourself campaign.  I am looking forward to discussing options and answering questions you might have.  Pam

  • Icon for: Barbara Berns

    Barbara Berns

    Facilitator
    Education Planner
    May 14, 2018 | 12:31 p.m.

    Although it is of course, depressing, I loved the beginning of your video!

    THE "PICTURING" component of your strategy makes a lot of sense, but could you briefly, provide a listing of some of the other key strategies you are using in your programs?

    Have you considered alternatives for communities where there are few role models in the technical career field?

  • Icon for: Pamela Silvers

    Pamela Silvers

    Lead Presenter
    Instructor/Principal Investigator
    May 14, 2018 | 05:14 p.m.

    We have a 3 pronged approach to encourage and retain ALL students.

    1. Marketing - We use the Picture Yourself campaign to make sure all materials include a diverse group of students.  For us it is a focus on women in technology and engineering.
    2. Marketing - When we talk about Technology and Engineering careers we focus on helping others, working in teams and making a difference (instead of the typical marketing strategies of higher pay and jobs).  Not only do employers value these soft skills but they are the reason many people choose careers.
    3. We host an Innovative Expo on our campus each summer for high school personnel so they can learn about our programs and opportunities
    4. We host a Focus on the Classroom event for community college faculty.
  • Icon for: Courtney Tanenbaum

    Courtney Tanenbaum

    Facilitator
    Principal Researcher
    May 15, 2018 | 07:59 a.m.

    This video does such a great job of demonstrating the problem of practice in the field! In your project description you note the increase in women's participation in the identified programs. Have you been able to collect other data on the impact or influence your efforts are having on the recruitment and participation of women in the identified programs? I'd also like to hear more about the Innovative Expo you mention in your response to Barbara's comments. What kind of information do you share with high school personnel? Have you collected any data from participants on how that event has affected the work they do at their schools to promote tech and engineering degrees and careers to their female students?

  • Icon for: Kelly Riedinger

    Kelly Riedinger

    Facilitator
    Senior Researcher
    May 15, 2018 | 09:36 a.m.

    Similar to the individuals interviewed in the video, I also found it challenging to picture and name a woman when thinking about professionals in technology so thank you for sharing a few examples of women role models. I noticed in the description you mentioned there was an increase from 39 to 75 female students in the programs. What are some of the programs where you are measuring the number of students? Can you tell us more about other ways you are collecting evidence to document outcomes and impacts of the Picture Yourself campaign?

  • Icon for: Pamela Silvers

    Pamela Silvers

    Lead Presenter
    Instructor/Principal Investigator
    May 15, 2018 | 11:23 a.m.

    The programs which were targeted for our grant were Computer Information Systems, Networking Technologies, Systems Security, Mechanical Engineering, Electronics, Computer Engineering and Civil Engineering.

    In addition to the Picture Yourself campaign our marketing materials also included highlighting the soft skills needed for these careers.  Picture yourself helping others, working in teams and solving problems.  STEM marketing often focuses on jobs and money, which studies show are motivating factors for many men in career selection but not women.

     
    1
    Discussion is closed. Upvoting is no longer available

    Sarah Dunton
  • Elaine Craft

    May 15, 2018 | 01:30 p.m.

    Terrific video and message!  Thanks for capturing and sharing. I will be passing this along to the many STEM programs with whom I work as an evaluator and/or as I mentor teams who want to develop competitive grant proposals.  So often, I find a great desire among faculty to encourage more female participation in advanced technological education and related STEM disciplines but little knowledge of proven successful strategies for doing so.

  • Ginny Overbay

    Undergraduate Student
    May 20, 2018 | 09:31 a.m.

    Thank you so much for watching our video, and for your kind words! Engaging faculty, instructors, and counselors is pivotal in encouraging more women into STEM.

  • Elaine Craft

    May 15, 2018 | 01:30 p.m.

    Terrific video and message!  Thanks for capturing and sharing. I will be passing this along to the many STEM programs with whom I work as an evaluator and/or as I mentor teams who want to develop competitive grant proposals.  So often, I find a great desire among faculty to encourage more female participation in advanced technological education and related STEM disciplines but little knowledge of proven successful strategies for doing so.

  • Icon for: Pamela Silvers

    Pamela Silvers

    Lead Presenter
    Instructor/Principal Investigator
    May 17, 2018 | 09:37 a.m.

    I am catching up on my New York Time's - and just finished an interesting article on "the wedding" entitled What Meghan Markle Means to Black Britons by Ellen Barry

    https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/12/world/europe...

    It is another example of how having role models can be critical.

  • Heather Vaughn

    Higher Ed Faculty
    May 17, 2018 | 11:51 a.m.

    Excellent video showing how important it is to recruit and retain women in STEM fields.

  • Icon for: Pamela Silvers

    Pamela Silvers

    Lead Presenter
    Instructor/Principal Investigator
    May 17, 2018 | 12:41 p.m.

    Thank you.  Having role models and mentors can make a difference

  • Icon for: Francis Nikolaus

    Francis Nikolaus

    K-12 Teacher
    May 20, 2018 | 01:31 p.m.

    Pamela and team,

    I currently teach technology education at the high school level, and as you pointed out I see a very low female participation rate in my courses. Majority of my teaching load has to do with manufacturing and girls tend to think that they are not good at hands on classes, but when I do get girls in my classes they tend to out perform the boys. From what I see, girls have a greater ability to apply what they have learned into more imaginative and creative designs. I think if we can build confidence in our young female students maybe we can achieve more women in STEM fields. Good luck and I hope we can all work together to make this happen.

    Thank you,

    Francis Nikolaus

  • Icon for: Pamela Silvers

    Pamela Silvers

    Lead Presenter
    Instructor/Principal Investigator
    May 20, 2018 | 08:48 p.m.

    Thank you - I think providing role models for all students is so important.  You can't do what you can't imagine.

  • Tiffany Foster

    Undergraduate Student
    May 21, 2018 | 11:07 a.m.

    We know women have the abilities.... it's time to train the next generation by example with the vision to utilize those abilities to their fullest!

  • Icon for: Pamela Silvers

    Pamela Silvers

    Lead Presenter
    Instructor/Principal Investigator
    May 21, 2018 | 06:15 p.m.

    I always cringe when I hear someone has lower expectations for women (or anyone).  We can ALL do it - just give us a chance

  • Icon for: Diane Smoot, Ph.D.

    Diane Smoot, Ph.D.

    Higher Ed Faculty
    May 21, 2018 | 12:41 p.m.

    Where are the pictures posted? Are they in the classroom, or online? Do students find pictures? I think your method of finding local women is most powerful. You can also order or print a deck of cards or a poster of Notable Women in Computing from this site: https://www2.cs.duke.edu/csed/wikipedia/cards.html

     

     

  • Icon for: Pamela Silvers

    Pamela Silvers

    Lead Presenter
    Instructor/Principal Investigator
    May 21, 2018 | 06:14 p.m.

    Primarily the posters are on bulletin boards on campus and at partner sites (nonprofits and K-12).  Thanks for the information on the deck of cards

  • Richard Hurley

    May 21, 2018 | 07:30 p.m.

    Extremely well done and highly relevant in all respects.  In my past career in HR this would have fit in perfectly with our endeavors to diversity and hire more women to fill positions which had been filled primarily  by males. Way to go Pam, et al!

  • Further posting is closed as the event has ended.