Parents are the key to getting the gender balance right

Why, in this brave new technological world, does Hewlett Packard's 1,400strong workforce, recruited over the past two years, comprises 70 per cent males and 30 per cent females?

Una Halligan, public relations manager with HP and a member of the Government technician skills shortages task force, suspects there are a number of reasons. "One of the key things that needs to be done is to make parents aware of the opportunities in the technological sector," she says.

There is a fear of multinationals, that they will come and go, with little job security. "There is also a sense that the computer/electronics industry won't last in the way law or architecture will.

"There is a perception that it's blue collar work, noisy and dirty. And there is a perception that you need to have done higher-level maths or science at Leaving Cert."

Girls are often pushed towards more "caring" professions. Work in HP, and any other world-class manufacturing company, is team-based and communications skills are as important as technical skills, she says. "Because girls tend to be better communicators they are superb at these jobs but they often miss the connection into them."

Girls have often made up their minds about careers by age 12 or 13, according to Halligan. "I think that there is too much emphasis on the traditional subjects and careers. There should be more handson maths and science in primary school."

She welcomes the inclusion of science in the new primary school curriculum but says she hopes it will be practically based, not just reading. "I think there should be role models. At primary school, parents should be encouraged to come in and talk about their jobs."

Programmes such as Junior Achievement can introduce the world of work to primary students, she adds. This is a non-profit organisation, established 78 years ago in the United States, dedicated to "building a bridge between the classroom and the workplace."

In this school year, more than 1,650 young people in 66 classes in 20 schools, both primary and second-level, are taking part in Junior Achievement programmes in the Republic.

As part of her job, Halligan visits schools, particularly girls' schools, and brings women engineers and technicians to talk about their jobs. The schools are then invited to visit HP.

It's a little early to tell if it's bearing fruit, she admits, as HP is in Leixlip only for the past two years. It is planned to double the workforce by 2001, bringing the total number of employees on the 200-acre site close to 3,000.

HP is the type of model environment, with its own gym, learning centre, landscaped grounds, clinically clean work environment, that should dispel any worries about working in a manufacturing facility.

The workforce is split evenly between graduates and non-graduates. Non-graduates work as process operators, watching over the production process, which is completely automated.

HP and Action South Kildare have put together a skills updating and training programme for unemployed adults over the age of 35. Although aimed at both sexes, there were only three men among the 39 participants on the last 10-week course. Most of these were offered jobs as process operators.

"We have found it very successful in terms of addressing the gender balance and the age balance," says Halligan.