Women may fill almost half of the jobs in the U.S., but when it comes to STEM-related occupations, they only fill about 25 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Administrators at Elk Grove High School, located in Elk Grove, a suburb of Chicago, have created a girls-only pre-engineering course to appeal to a wider female student population.

But discrepencies are already taking place. Instead of drawing freshmen girls with high math scores into the Introduction to Engineering Design class, their male counterparts are enrolling.

The question being raised is how to interest these women— who are fully capable of being successful in STEM careers— in classes that will prepare them for STEM jobs.  How can these girls know if they will enjoy this type of career if they aren't even giving themselves an opportunity to explore this option?

What should be done to influence women for STEM? And should administrators remedy this situation without making a pre-engineering course a requirement?

Read the full manufacturing.net article here.