Pluralsight’s Faye Ellis and Rain Alliance’s Aileen Ryan discuss advanced technologies, the transformation of the workplace and how far women in engineering careers have come.
This past Tuesday (23 June) was International Women in Engineering Day, which recognises the female engineers who have contributed significantly to the growth of the sector.
For Faye Ellis, a principal training architect with Pluralsight, much has changed in the global engineering space since she first established herself professionally. She finds that inclusion and AI have had a lasting impact on careers in this field, leading to better opportunities and increased diversity of thought.
She explained to SiliconRepublic.com that in 2024, women held roughly 32pc of global senior management and leadership roles within the technology sector, noting that while this is still lower than it should be, it is in fact a significant improvement from when she first began her career.
Ellis said, “What has changed for women in the industry is visibility, with women running organisations, founding start-ups and serving on boards. This representation matters because it helps to normalise the idea that leadership is no longer defined by gender.
“Over the past few years, companies have become much more intentional about building inclusive cultures and investing in sponsorship and mentorship programmes. Conversations around diversity and inclusion are far more normalised than they used to be, and the tech sector is beginning to realise that diverse teams drive better outcomes.”
Faye Ellis, principal training architect for Pluralsight
Purposeful progress
This opinion is shared by Aileen Ryan, the CEO and president of Rain Alliance, who explained that almost 40 years ago, aged just 16, she was inspired by a ‘Year of Women in Engineering’ initiative in Ireland to learn how to make a computer that could ‘do something’.
Ryan told SiliconRepublic.com, “I was one of just 12 girls in a cohort of 120 studying engineering at University College Cork, but after completing my bachelor of engineering, electrical followed by a master of science in computer science, I began my career in engineering and never looked back.”
She finds that progress has been made, particularly in relation to the number of women in the industry; however, “there is still a long way to go when it comes to bringing diverse perspectives into technology and engineering roles”, in her opinion.
“This trend continues at the senior level – the number of female senior leaders and female-founded businesses are slowly but surely increasing, but it’s vital the industry maintains this momentum and continues to present itself as an attractive and exciting sector in which women can pursue a career,” Ryan said.
“The World Economic Forum warns that economic downturns disproportionately affect women’s advancement, with the Covid-19 pandemic setting back progress made on global gender parity by a generation. This highlights the importance of a consistent and continued focus on gender parity to ensure opportunity is available for all.”
In a landscape where the problems facing modern-day engineers are becoming increasingly complex and the systems ever more connected, Ryan is of the opinion that diversity of thought is critical, as are solutions designed to serve a much wider range of people, industries and communities.
“By continuing to attract and support people from different backgrounds across the engineering ecosystem, we can ensure their voice is heard and inspire the next generation of engineers to ensure that the technologies of tomorrow are more innovative, inclusive and impactful for everyone,” said Ryan.
“Organisations need to move beyond just having good intentions and focus on creating systems which consistently support women’s growth and advancements”, said Ellis, who believes that this starts with giving women more opportunities from the get-go, not just as they edge towards senior leadership positions.
“Organisations also need to examine their existing processes and challenge any barriers that may limit advancement. This includes looking at hiring practices, promotion criteria, pay equity and how leadership potential is identified and assessed,” she said.
“Fostering an inclusive culture is just as important, and businesses should provide flexibility and support for different life stages and responsibilities.”
Aileen Ryan, the CEO and president of Rain Alliance
Advancing AI
But it isn’t only increased diversity and greater opportunity for others that have transformed the workplace. Both Ellis and Ryan find that advanced technologies have irrevocably changed how engineers engage with the profession and the wider ecosystem. And for Ellis, this comes with both positive and negative consequences.
She said that, as with everything, there are pros and cons, “with the biggest positives being AI’s ability to automate time-consuming repetitive tasks, enabling engineers to focus on high-value work. But there are also significant challenges, with many organisations shrinking the number of roles available.
“Entry-level roles are being reshaped, and the traditional pathways into engineering careers are changing rapidly. For established engineers, expertise built over many years remains valuable, but it must be continually refreshed and expanded to prevent falling behind as automation progresses.”
For young professionals, she explained, “AI can be an incredible learning tool and productivity enhancer, but can also change the nature of entry-level roles. Employers are looking for engineers of all levels who can work effectively with AI and continuously evolve alongside it, developing expertise in areas including AI systems, data, security and leadership.”
She added, “There is no doubt that some opportunities will disappear as automation advances, and adaptability is more important than ever when it comes to engineering skills.
“Engineers who invest in developing new skills and learn how to leverage AI as a force multiplier will continue to find opportunities and create value, while those who don’t will see their roles become increasingly disrupted.”
She also finds that AI presents an ideal opportunity for women to reassign work of a lesser value to automated systems with the intention of then turning their attention to more meaningful or important tasks.
“A shift towards automation enables female engineers to spend more time on higher-value tasks, like strategic thinking, innovation, architecture, leadership and decision-making, creating opportunities for women to focus on the skills that underpin senior and strategic roles, including leading teams and making complex decisions.
“AI has the potential to improve diversity within leadership roles, but also to introduce new risks. Women are overrepresented in functions which include routine and administrative tasks, and these are the most likely to be automated, leaving women at a higher risk of redundancy than their male counterparts.”
For Ryan, who has always been environmentally conscious, especially since experiencing motherhood, technological advancements have resulted in more opportunities to champion sustainability within her professional life, as she finds tech can drive sustainable and resource-efficient consumption.
She said, “I have also co-founded Preoptima, a generative AI company applying ‘carbon twins’ technology and real-time data to empower low-carbon design decisions and reduce whole-life carbon in the built environment.
“These initiatives reflect how technological innovation has a huge role to play in making the people and planet of the future more sustainable.”
Ryan concluded, “Working in tech and engineering is so much more than just a job. It gives us the opportunity to have a tangible impact on the world around us, championing the innovations that meet the needs of the people around us and helping build a connected, sustainable future.”
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