Retaining Women in Engineering Education Through Network Groups and Mentoring

The underrepresentation of women in engineering is often explained by gender differences in interests or abilities, learning environments and learning styles, or the uncertainty of the job market. But young women in Norway have largely overcome many of the traditional gender differences, and the job market is favourable. However, female engineering students lack role models and networks. Many leave the studies, and later the profession. This is known as the problem of the ‘leaky pipeline’. At the Faculty of Engineering, Oslo University College, serious attempts are made to help the female students succeed in their studies. A women’s network group has been formed, the aim of which is to give female students an opportunity to form networks in the same way that men do. Building networks helps with retention among women and underrepresented minorities. A mentoring project has been initiated, so that all first year female students will have their own mentor from the autumn term 2006. Index Terms – Engineering, leaky pipeline, mentoring, underrepresentation of women.