Women in STEM Careers

Women are the key to future success in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths, especially in Australia. While often underrepresented in employment; the skills, insights and talents they can offer are second-to-none. You don’t have to be an Einstein to enter these rewarding career paths; nor do you have to be male. The world is full of opportunities in STEM for women and it’s only just the beginning.

• Science

• Technology

• Engineering

• Maths

To learn more about exactly what is possible in STEM, we sat down with Penelope Twemlow, an inspiring author, motivational speaker and advocate for women in STEM in Australia.

Penelope Twemlow

• Successful Career in STEM
• Motivational Speaker
• CEO of Energy Skills QLD
• Chairwoman of Women in Power
• Ambassador
• Mentor and Coach

Education of any kind is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world. From an early age, I saw education as a critical investment in my future.

If I had a thirst to know more, I would find out more through taking a course, reading a book, searching the internet, interviewing an expert, listening to podcasts and undertaking work experience. Nothing one learns is ever wasted!

After leaving high school, I continued to feed my inquiring mind through study at university where I gained a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Computer Science and

Management. My thirst for knowledge then saw me complete a number of other qualifications too.

Not all of these qualifications can be directly attributed to STEM, but they can be seen as complementary skills to ensure my STEM qualifications are sufficiently met with business, leadership and management skills.

I continue to achieve in the educational sphere and I am hoping to undertake short courses in the future to increase my knowledge in the areas of engineering and neuro-linguistic programming.

Due to my qualifications and experience, I have been afforded the title of Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management and a Member of the Risk Management Institute of Australasia, the Australian Institute of Project Management and the Australian Human Resources Institute.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Energy Skills Queensland

Energy Skills Queensland is the leading, independent, not-for-profit organisation providing innovative solutions to enable a skilled and safe energy industry. Supporting the electricity, oil and gas, mining and telecommunications sectors, Energy Skills engages, researches and develops products and services that align with the current and future needs of our stakeholders. On a day-to-day basis, I usually:

• Manage day-to-day decisions for the company’s long and short term plans
• Liaise between the board and management
• Communicate to the Board on behalf of the company
• Communicate to members, employees, government authorities and the public
• Set the strategy for the business
• Modelling the organisation’s culture and leading with the executive team
• Allocate capital to the company’s priorities

You don’t have to be a whizz at science or technology to still be involved in the STEM industries, most of my work is focused on management and decision making, which are needed in virtually all industries but always in demand in STEM companies.

Co-Founder and Chair of Women in Power

Women in Power is a Not-For-Profit organisation formed in 2015 whose mission is to promote and improve the electrical and electrotechnology industry by the advancement of women within it. It provides a forum for its members to meet and exchange information, ideas and solutions and offers individual members an opportunity to expand personal and business networks, maintain awareness of industry developments, improve skills and knowledge, and make a contribution to other women in the industry.

Average Salary for Women

Promoting STEM and the Women Within It

I am sought after for my inspiring and insightful keynote speeches at conferences, off site meetings, and marketing events, particularly in areas of STEM and the promotion and advancement of women within it. Strong demand for my expertise has seen me present as a keynote speaker both nationally and internationally for clients including:

• Energy Skills Queensland
• Telstra
• Clean Energy Council
• Australian Defence Force
• Bond University
• TAFE Queensland
• Queensland University of Technology
• Women in Technology

Clients appreciate my highly engaging and entertaining presentation manner, combined with my strong authority and credibility based on my business track record and extensive experience working with leading organisations.

If you had asked me when I was younger if I would be where I am today, I think I would have laughed. I didn’t dream of anything this exciting, or to be working in highly technical and scientific fields. But I am here and what I want other women to know is that they can be here too.

Why I do what I do? Why do I push all sorts of limits, and what is my motivation?

As a CEO working in the STEM fields, I am called upon to answer difficult technical problems that involve creating solutions that require innovation and invention. I see myself as a member of a team made up of modern-day inventors.

I am extremely passionate about what I do. I love all the roles I undertake because I am passionate about the causes behind them and the people they will touch.

When I was growing up, I wanted to be an astronaut, a ballerina or a firewoman, and if someone was able to combine all three into one role, I would have happily volunteered to be the prototype. I am clearly NOT a ballerina as I am about as dainty and subtle as a train smash; the moon is too far away, and I prefer to buy the Firemen’s calendar every year than actually be one. So clearly – none of these career paths worked out for me!

In school, I developed a thirst for learning. Information technology, computer science and business principles were my favourite subjects. I did not achieve the high school result that I had needed to study law, which is what I thought I wanted to do. I then went on to join the Australian Defence Force and it was here that I found my love of all things technology, science and engineering.

According to the Australian Government’s National Innovation and Science Agenda, only one in four IT graduates and fewer than one in 10 engineering graduates are women. Further, women occupy fewer than one in five senior researcher positions in Australian universities and research institutes and around one-quarter of the STEM workforce overall.

The STEM fields are in crisis because there is a lack of female role models in the space and our own cultural and implicit biases. Add to that a lack of self-confidence amongst young women and we have a major problem.

The lack of women in STEM means we are lacking the perspectives of half the world’s population (more or less). When women design new products or services, they bring a different perspective that too often hasn’t been considered before. That’s true in any industry, but it’s particularly notable in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

The empowerment of our future women in STEM must start at home and in the community. Our language, actions and expectations of our daughters (and sons) are capable of long-term impacts that will change society for the better. For many young women in primary or high school, the self-critical voice speaks so loudly and clearly, that it leaves them doubting their abilities to be successful in STEM-related subjects.

You don’t have to have a PhD to make an impact in STEM, that’s the beauty of it. Just having the qualifications to succeed and open the doors to more career opportunities is an essential part of empowering more women to enter the workforce and increase participation.

Penelope is one of many women shaping the future of Australia through a career in STEM and it’s still just the beginning. Women participating in these industries are at an all-time high, with this only going to get better. Thanks, Penelope for sharing your inspiring story with us, the team at training.com.au wish you all the best with your future success!

With plenty of in-demand jobs, higher pay and the promise of challenge and career progression; nothing’s off limits and STEM could well be the answer to your career goals.