Southeast Community College is doing its part to close the STEM gender gap

Southeast Community College, a member of Bio Nebraska, is working to increase women in STEM fields through various programs offered across its Beatrice, Lincoln and Milford locations.

Sponsored content by McKayla Mills, Brand Ave. Studios contributing writer. Published in the Omaha World-Herald.

According to the United States Census Bureau, only 27% of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) workers are women, despite women encompassing nearly half of the U.S. workforce. STEM fields such as data science, agricultural sciences, computer science and many others offer exciting and often lucrative careers for those who choose to pursue them. However, women are often underrepresented in these industries.

While this is due to a number of factors, one major factor is that girls have fewer role models in STEM fields and may lose confidence in their math and science skills at school because of negative stereotypes and biases put on them. Southeast Community College recognizes this discrepancy and wants to empower their female students by giving them the skills and confidence they need to succeed in whichever field they choose to enter.

SCC, which has locations in Beatrice, Lincoln and Milford, offers many opportunities for women to break into a STEM field. Whether they’re a full-time student pursuing a degree, a high school upperclassman taking dual enrollment courses or a nontraditional student looking to pick up a few extra skills to advance their career, the faculty at the college enjoy looking for ways to not only teach them new skills, but to show them what career opportunities are available to them. Many of the staff act as mentors to students, helping them sculpt their educational experience in a way that will set them up for success with their long-term career goals.