Embrace engineering course, Agubata tells female students

Former President of Association Professional Women in Engineering (APWEN), Dr. Felicia Agubata recently flagged off Sheengineer Invent it, Built It Programme for girls in secondary school and for the training of teachers.

Agubata, who is also the Project Director/Grant Awardee advised female students not to rule out engineering course when thinking of a career in the sciences and informed them that she chose the course because she loves mathematics and science subjects.

She explained that it is important to investigate what deters female students from pursuing STEM career and how to also support female students to follow their dream with regards to showing interest in science courses.

The programme which took place at Digital Bridge Institute, Oshodi-Lagos, was attended by students of Bolade Junior Secondary School, Oshodi, Oshodi Comprehensive School, Maryland Grammar School, Government Junior High School, among others.

Engineering is the most male-dominated field in STEM. It may perhaps be the most-male dominated profession in Nigeria with women making up only 13 percent of the engineering workforce

“APWEN is on a mission to close the gender gap in engineering, and to change the image of what an engineer looks like and does,  as we flag off  ‘why engineering should be a woman’s game  project tagged: Sheengineer, a capacity-building programme under the Royal Academy of Engineering UK, a partner for the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF).’’

Agubata disclosed that the grant is for APWEN to train some teachers in  public secondary school in engineering, technology and mathematics as well as mentor female students in secondary schools to encourage them to study STEM that will lead them to pursue a career in engineering.

According to her, the grant which is to train teachers in mentoring 500 female students and 200 STEM teachers

Said she: ‘’Once a child is good in numbers studying engineering is easy, that is why the training of teachers  is very important, she concluded.’’

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Ten -10-year-old, Opara Harmony, a JSS 111 pupil of Bolade Junior Secondary School, one of the participants said she is aspiring to become an engineer in the future and she believed in herself that she too can study the course.

Faith Olalekun,11-year-old JJS student from Oshodi Comprehensive School urged girls not be discouraged in picking engineering as a career and acknowledged that her dad as an engineer will further spur to study the course.

Source:Sunnews