Female airmen underrepresented in tech field

[unhappycamper]

Airman 1st Class Ana Canillas, an AGE technician, troubleshoots the starter and electronic systems on an MJ-1B bomb lift. Male airmen outnumber women in techical fields, such as engineering, more than 11 to 1.


Female airmen underrepresented in tech field
By Erik Holmes - Staff writer
Posted : Saturday Mar 7, 2009 9:17:30 EST

Women account for 8 percent of airmen in technical career fields, even though they make up a fifth of the enlisted force, Air Force statistics show.

Of 108,735 enlisted airmen who do what are considered technical jobs, such as engineering, 100,036 are men and 8,699 are women. The disparity mirrors a nationwide trend of men outnumbering women in fields related to math and science.

Nearly half — 49 percent — of enlisted male airmen in Community College of the Air Force programs are in technical specialties, compared with 17 percent of enlisted female airmen, according to data from the Air Force Personnel Center.

Airmen are in CCAF programs that align with their Air Force Specialty Codes, so academic specialties closely mirror AFSCs. The personnel center could not provide data for women in technical AFSCs.

The careers that a new recruit can enter are determined by his Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery scores and academic qualifications such as high school or college classes, according to the Air Force Recruiting Service.


Rest of article at: http://airforcetimes.com/news/2009/03/airforce_technical_women_030709w/%2e

[SheilaT]

1. Women are underrepresented in

tech fields everywhere, I'm sure. I suspect that even today girls are discouraged from taking advanced math and science courses in high school, and so start college (or go into the service after h.s.) with less inclination or preparation for tech stuff.