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In an exchange with Financial Express Online, Latha Chembrakalam said: Head of Technical Center India, Continental Automotive India shares her thoughts on women engineers in R&D, how Continental promotes diversity and why perseverance is the key to success as an engineer I will talk about the
What are your thoughts on the participation of female engineers in the automotive and R&D fields?
Over the past few years, the perception of women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields has changed significantly. Currently, the number of young female engineers joining the workforce at most companies is about the same as the number of male engineers with the same profile. The number of female professionals is also gradually increasing at senior and mid-career levels. The automotive and R&D industries are dominated by men, but now many female engineers are starting to enter this field.
As auto companies become more gender-diversified, women are encroaching on areas previously dominated by men in the sector.
Over the years, the importance of diversity and inclusion in the automotive industry has increased, with companies working towards creating a fair workplace. Companies are now encouraging female employees to take leadership roles within their organizations. With the increasing use of software in the automotive industry, more women engineers are being spotted in this field.
However, the share of women in R&D, especially in automobiles, is around 18% at middle management level, despite 30% at base level, so we should encourage women’s participation to promote equity. It is certain that we need to increase it.
What do you think can be done to improve the flow of engineering and increase female participation?
The whole change must start with society’s belief that we need to encourage women to get an education in STEM fields and provide an ecosystem in which women can thrive.
Therefore, the government should introduce various schemes to encourage young girls to choose engineering schools. With her introduction of STEM subjects in schools, developing early spatial intelligence and developing a mentorship program for young girls with an interest in engineering will help break down social and gender biases in this industry. help.
To encourage more women to participate, companies need to be a little more flexible and introduce recruitment campaigns aimed at women on long career breaks. You can help further by giving them the opportunity to upskill, especially when they return from a short vacation.
Additionally, self-limiting beliefs are a major obstacle in the career path for many women. Having good role models and female mentors can help overcome this problem.
What steps are you taking to promote cultural and gender diversity within your organization?
We believe in the power of diversity to ensure a healthy work environment, and diversity of thought is a key factor in our success. Continental aims to inspire and develop women and girls to understand the industry better and to consider engineering as a career path. It also works to improve the professional skills of women within the organization and promote women’s growth while reducing the gender gap. Over the past two years, we have introduced several initiatives such as Launch–Pad, We-Lead, Unnati, and Women for Manufacturing to empower women at different levels and promote the growth of women in R&D and manufacturing. and encouraged participation.
Through the Launch-Pad initiative, we aim to bring back women whose careers have been interrupted by maternity leave or post-marriage transfers.
The We-Lead initiative aims to develop female leaders within the organization. The program aims to develop female leaders across India and instill the confidence to pursue their professional and personal aspirations.
Through our Women for Manufacturing initiative, we strive to inspire, educate and employ women from difficult socioeconomic backgrounds and help secure jobs on the ground across manufacturing plants.
Unnati is a research and development program that develops young leaders through group coaching to equip them with a range of leadership and other skills necessary for their career journeys.
These efforts are in line with Continental’s goal of increasing the proportion of women in the first two management levels worldwide to 25% by 2025.
What do you think makes India one of the countries that produces the most engineers in your opinion?
One of the main reasons is the emphasis on education in Indian culture. Engineering is one of the most popular courses as it is also considered essential for economic growth.
If you dig deep into the past, when India became independent, the construction of dams, bridges, roads, power plants, etc. required a large amount of engineers, which aroused public interest in this field. Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru was the lead designer of his seven IITs to bridge the gap between supply and demand. The success of IIT has further motivated young people in India to choose an engineering career.
India is a developing economy with a relatively young population. The country is also home to several prominent educational institutions, with the largest number of engineering educational institutions in the world. According to 2021 data, India produces around 1.5 million engineering graduates each year. Interestingly, almost 43% of all her STEM graduates are women in India compared to other parts of the world.
In addition, India has a large number of engineering colleges and universities, giving students good opportunities to pursue their interests. Furthermore, demand for engineers is increasing in India due to rapid economic growth and infrastructure development. This engineering shift was further accelerated by the Indian IT wave.
Some industry leaders say most engineering students need upskilling and training before they can understand the practical application of what they learn.
According to many studies, less than 10% of new graduates are industry ready. With technology evolving rapidly, you need to improve your skills to stay relevant in today’s engineering work environment. Today, production methods and operating models are constantly changing, with automation increasing the decentralization of production and operations. Gaining knowledge of various technologies and skills is essential to increasing employability. Many of our academic curricula are outdated, and the rise of institutions has led to a decline in the quality of our teaching staff. Student-faculty ratios are also very poor in many institutions.
Advanced technologies such as AI, ML, Augmented Reality, and Blockchain have been incorporated into various fields. Engineers proficient in these latest technologies are therefore in high demand. It is therefore important to provide students with hands-on training and equip them with practical knowledge.
Companies can actively collaborate with academic institutions to close skill gaps and equip students with practical knowledge.
Finally, could you share your message for young students planning to go into engineering and your suggestions on what areas they should focus on?
If you are considering a career as an engineer, I encourage you to be persistent. There are no shortcuts to hard work. It takes dedication and determination to be successful in this field. It’s important not to limit yourself, especially as women are breaking down barriers and shattering glass ceilings.
If you decide to pursue engineering, go for it, and trust me, your hard work will definitely pay off. Engineering offers a strong educational foundation unlike any other course and offers numerous career opportunities. Plus, engineers can shape the world like never before.
Currently, the top engineering departments in terms of number of departments are IT, Electronic Communications, Computer Science, Mechanical and Civil Engineering. Additionally, emerging fields such as machine learning and artificial intelligence, robotics, solar engineering, wind energy engineering, nanotechnology, and biochemical engineering are growing in popularity.
However, engineering stream selection should largely depend on personal interests and passions. It’s important to consider all available options before making a decision. Maintaining breadth and depth of knowledge by focusing on continuous learning is also important.
