SRC looks to attract more males for science and technology
WHILE OTHER countries are still on course with inspiring greater female participation in science and technology, Jamaica is moving towards persuading more males to consider careers in the areas.
Taking the lead in this mammoth task is the Scientific Research Council (SRC) in Kingston.
Under the guidance of Dr Charah Watson, its executive director, the SRC has set the ball rolling with implementing developmental programmes that do not restrict participants based on their identity.
“Globally, there is an unequal number of women pursuing traditional science careers. However, in Jamaica it is very different,” Dr Watson explained.
“Here, we have a larger number of women pursing science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers and young girls seeking sciencebased degrees. So, we have to be mindful of this and develop more programmes around this,” she noted.
Before now, the SRC focused on presenting science as an appealing industry to girls.
The executive director said even though the organisation will continue to support this group, young men will be benefiting more greatly from its undertakings.
“We have to ensure that our boys are not excluded. The needs of girls and boys are different, and they learn differently. So, we have developed programmes that are both gender-neutral and genderspecific,” Dr. Watson explained.
She is acting with first-hand knowledge of the imbalance in the workplace. At the SRC, more than 76 per cent of its employees are females, including in the technical areas.
BOOST INNOVATION
One of the initiatives that the SRC is utilising to encourage more young men to pursue STEM education, as well as venture into STEM-based careers, is the revamped Next Gen Science Programme.
Initially developed to support young women, this increasingly popular externship programme facilitates the exchange and interaction of students within STEM institutions.
“Our Science and Technology XXtrordineers JA programme features pioneering female scientists from Jamaica. But we are expanding on this to make it more gender-neutral … because we are cognisant of the reality here in Jamaica. And we are keen on making sure that there is balance across the board,” Dr Watson said.
Other initiatives that are equally beneficial to young men and their female counterparts are the flagship Young Inventors and Innovators Competition and quarterly Conversation in Science series.
Dr Watson believes that with the SRC shifting gears and implementing more genderneutral programmes, the country will not only strike a balance in female-male participation in science and technology, but also boost innovation.
“We are encouraging both male and female participation in the advancement and development of our society. The SRC is an institution that is very keen on fostering innovation,” she said.
“Embracing innovation is not just a choice but a fundamental necessity in steering our nation towards prosperity and global competitiveness,” she argued.
Dr Watson asserted that the SRC will remain resolute in its efforts to bring about this change.
She acknowledged that both young men and women experience limitations when venturing into the science and technology field, hence the SRC’s focus on reaching more students, including those at the early-childhood level.