First-generation minorities and women face difficult challenges that discourage their participation in STEM fields. Corporate and nonprofit mentoring programs are helping university students, early career minorities, and women navigate the challenges. - BY DEBORAH JENKINS
The need for more minorities and women to choose STEM careers and to stay in STEM positions is more significant than ever, but so are the challenges. White men continue to overwhelmingly dominate the STEM industry in every country. Thus, there is a shortage of role models for first-generation minorities and women in universities and workplaces, and many are starting their STEM careers without industry connections. They are unlikely to know how to navigate a corporate career because they have no one to teach them as first-generation STEM professionals.
Mentoring is a relationship-building process in which mentees gain access to industry opportunities in various forms like internships and, once onboard, have a mentor who shares knowledge, ensures access to resources, and builds connections. However, it is a two-way learning process as mentors learn about mentee experiences and can use the information to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion. By expanding opportunities for mentoring in STEM, organizations can expand inclusion and learning opportunities both today and for the workforce of the future.
There is a lot of truth in the adage that it is not what you know, but who you know, that can help you reach goals. The STEM industries need educated and skilled people. As the momentum accelerates to encourage minorities and women to enter STEM careers, they discover that not knowing the people who can help them guide their career preparation and career path once employed is a genuine barrier. Many students and early career individuals do not have past role models or access to a support network through connections, so they are left without a compass for success while competing with others more fortunate. It leads to frustration and low retention rates in university STEM programs and organizational STEM positions.
The ”who you know” part of the adage is at the heart of a mentoring program designed to provide STEM newcomers with the people and other resources needed for success. Researchers have found a mentor does not have to be an older person. It can be a peer if the peer can provide constructive feedback, networking opportunities, and a means of advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the mentee's portfolio. The STEM fields are full of people at all education and career stages, so peers have opportunities to foster the development of younger people, especially underrepresented minorities and women.
Mentoring is a learning process for the mentor and mentee. Mentors of people from different racial and ethnic groups or women gain a deeper understanding of how discrimination and biases hold people back, even when the talent management processes meet all legal requirements. They can also see first-hand how a lack of connections and role models can become barriers.
Successful Mentoring Based on
Shared Values
There are many mentoring programs available today serving different populations. Some are for university students in STEM studies, and others are for employees. University students are paired with an industry professional who can provide access to internships, career guidance, skills development resources, and introductions to other professionals who bring them into professional networks. For new employees, a mentor can provide information, feedback, and introductions within the organization and in external networks.
Ideally, mentors are demographically similar to mentees, but that is not always possible. What is possible is that in all mentoring relationships, there should be shared values. The relationship quality matters, and a mentoring relationship needs to be based on more than a program of introductions and question-and-answer sessions. Programs should program training for mentors on how to uncover shared values, build meaningful connection points into the pairing, and then use those shared values and pair bonds to help mentees build self-esteem and identity.
No Two STEM Mentoring Programs
are Alike
There are a number of different strategies currently used to create mentorship opportunities for minorities and women in STEM. No two programs are fully alike in terms of the matching process, time commitments, program length, and content. Well-known programs, however, can provide inspiration for creating fresh systems of mentorship.
For example, Merck is supporting the STEM Hub for Industry Navigation and Exchange (S.H.I.N.E.) program, a mentoring program for ethnic and racial minority individuals pursuing careers in the biotech and pharmaceutical industries. The 1:1 mentoring program offers five months of mentoring, giving mentees access to internship and job opportunities. In its pilot year, it paired 500 students with mentors, involved students from 80 plus schools, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Hispanic Serving Institutions, and has mentors from 24 companies.
The Northrup Grumman Corporation supports a program in Poland, initiated in July 2022. The Women in International Security (WIIS) mentoring program is for female students and graduates in STEM at Polish universities who want to pursue careers in international security, defense, and peach studies. It is a 12-month program with 1:1 mentoring, skills-training sessions, study visits, and participation in the 2023 Warsaw Security Forum.
In 2023, Schneider Electric became a sponsor for the Women in AI mentorship program. The WAI is a nonprofit community-driven initiative empowering women and minorities to become AI & Data experts and innovations. Founded in Paris, France, it has 8,000 members in 140 countries. Volunteer mentors work with a matched mentee pursuing a career to advance the ethical use of AI.
PagerDuty, a mission-critical incidence mobilization platform company, has a Black and Latinx ERG called Array which offers a mentorship program that pairs ERG members with C-Suite and VP-level mentors, including the CEO. Mentees are paired with mentors who are within or outside their department. The nine-month program includes check-ins, monthly one-on-ones, and themed discussions. As one Array mentee explained, the mentorship program allowed her to build bonds with executives and, just as importantly, share personal experiences as a Latinx employee.
Finally, PwC has several mentorship programs focused on increasing diversity and inclusion and developing people. The Thrive program is a two-year experience for entry-level Black and Latinx employees. It includes culture workshops, networking, connectivity, and leadership engagement. The program for new hires cultivates a sense of belonging and fosters trust relationships between Thrive mentees and Relationship Leaders. Mentees get insights on navigating PwC to drive early career success. PwC has many STEM career opportunities with jobs available for technologists, product specialists, computer science, mathematics, statistics, and more.
Mentoring for Every Business Size
This is just a sample of the varied approaches to mentoring minorities and women in STEM careers. A mentorship program does not have to be expensive or complicated. Any company can offer mentoring experience to minorities and women in the workplace, and company leaders can support mentoring students pursuing STEM careers. The results can include better retention, more engagement, and a stronger, more diverse talent pool for the future.