Keynote Presentation at Product Camp Melbourne by Paula Burton (Ngov) and Shennae Searle.

1. The Diversity Dilemma
Supporting our sisters in STEM
Paula Burton (Ngov)
@paulangov
Shennae Searle
@shennaesearle
#beautyOfTech

2. Transcript for Video 1
■ Grade 6 Girls asked question “What did you used to think STEM was?
■ Student 1 - You said it would be something to do with Science and Technology and I said “I have no idea what that
is”. And like I knew nothing at all about STEM, didn’t even know what it stood for. Nothing.
■ Student 2 - Well, I didn’t really know much about Science when I started, so I think I just left the question blank.
■ Student 3 - I knew a couple of things here and there from my dad. He’s a Project Manager, so I’ve been to his
construction site and have seen what’s going on.
■ Student 4 - All I really knew is what it stood for. And I knew it was something to do with Science but I never knew
more about it. Because in Year 2, I really wanted to do Science but I never got the opportunity to expand my
interest in Science because we didn’t do a lot of it.

3. Term 1 2016 Results
1 Girl in Top 15
Australian Council for Education Research
Standardised Science Testing

4. Intervention
1 . 5 Terms
1000% increase
Australian Council for Education Research
Standardised Science Testing
Mid Term 2, 2016 Results
10 Girls in Top 15
Term 1 2016 Results
1 Girl in Top 15

5. Over 50% of the population is female,
yet females only represent
20% of IT Professionals
25% of STEM workforce

8. Ada Lovelace
(1815 – 1852)
Tutored exclusively in math. Created the first
algorithm intended to be carried out by such a
machine.
Grace Hopper (1906 – 1992)
“Queen of Software”
Math Professor, Computer Scientist
Found a way to program computers using words
rather than numbers — COBOL
Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin
(1900 - 1979)
Figured out what the Sun was made of.
Dissertation: ”The most brilliant PhD thesis ever
written in astronomy"

9. Plenty of ponytails, very few females.
#beautyOfTech

10. Why diversity?
■ High-performing teams, not ratios
■ Top companies with women on boards perform better
○ invigorates problem solving
○ balances biases
○ perspectives and values
○ facilitates specialization

11. Why diversity?
● In the US, women account for 85% of all consumer purchases
● We need to tap into as much of the population as possible
○ By 2022, Australia will need 700,000+ skilled ICT workers
○ 5.1 million jobs at risk from digital disruption over the next 20 years
○ If we shift just 1% of our workforce into STEM roles, we could see a $57.4bn
increase in GDP
Ref: PWC

12. The diversity
dilemma
● Less women in the workforce
● Flexible work options
● Technical hiring habits
● Pervasiveness of technology
● ‘Bossy’ syndrome

13. The diversity
dilemma
● Unconscious bias (halo effect)
● Shortage of talent coming
through - you can’t be what you
can’t see
● Children opt out of possible
careers at kinder age
http://theconversation.com/getting-in-early-to-avoid-gender-stereotyping-careers-39867

14. Who influenced you in
choosing your career?

15. Teach you
Visual Basic,
I will.
You can do it,
Paula!
#beautyOfTech

16. Intervention
1 . 5 Terms
1000% increase
Australian Council for Education Research
Standardised Science Testing
Mid Term 2, 2016 Results
10 Girls in Top 15
Term 1 2016 Results
1 Girl in Top 15

17. How did we improve
these results?
■ Perception
■ Connection to world/reality
■ Connection to experts/role models
■ Connection to cause

18. Computer Science + X
#beautyOfTech

19. Tips to try on Monday
When you get back to your desk
#beautyOfTech

20. Keeping
talent
■ Mind your culture
■ Connect people to cause
■ Internal initiatives
rhokaustralia.org

21. Raise
Awareness
■ Tracy Chou @triketora

22. Be
human
Know your
audience
renttherunway.com

23. HR team
#BFF
■ Always interview women
■ You can go to market specifically
for women
■ Re-define work/life balance
■ Check out Workplace Gender
Equality Agency (WGEA)Department of Primary Industries,
Parks, Water and the Environment

24. Be a changemaker
Tips to try - wherever, whenever
#beautyOfTech

25. Talk
tech up

26. Panel pledge
Panel
Pledge
#panelhack
http://bit.ly/1Hz29f9

27. Women in business
Tech Tasters for Primary / Secondary
Go Girl
Go For
IT

28. Be a
Role Model
You can’t be what you can’t see
#beautyOfTech

29. #beautyOfTech
“I believe if you’ve
been successful in
what you want to do in
your life, then it’s your
obligation to spend a
good portion of your
time sending the
elevator back down.”
Kevin Spacey

30. Transcript for Video 2
■ Grade 6 Girls asked question “What do you think of STEM now?
○ Student 1 - I love it. Every time I had a session I’d be like “Oh I can’t wait for the next session!”
○ Student 2 - I found that it made my love for Science grow.
■ Grade 6 Girls asked question “What career do you think you’ll pursue?”
○ Student 3 - Either be a vet or engineer. So they both include Science. I didn’t really want to be an engineer but now I think it would
be cool.
○ Student 4 - Architect, Forensic Scientist slash Detective. Or maybe some art on the side
○ Student 1 - Now I want to do something with Science, but also have that Journalist job.
○ Student 2 - I’ve always loved Forensics. I would love to meet people that do Forensics.
■ Grade 6 Girls asked question “What’s made the difference in the last year?”
○ Student 3 - I’ve kind of been more included in like, the Science sort of area. So I’ve kind of just gone along with it and now I really
love it.
○ Student 4 - People around me. My dad, he talks about all this technical stuff and it’s made me want to learn about what he’s
saying.
○ Student 2 - Show them what the outcome can be, what Science can do. And how it can help people.

31. Q and A
RESOURCES
● Sheryl Sandberg on ‘bossy syndrome’ -
http://bit.ly/1TvLiN1
● Children ruling out careers that don’t fit with
their gender at preschool age bit.ly/1FVWT3g
● Tracy Chou - Releasing gender numbers
bit.ly/1LgtliM
● Women buy 85% of all consumer products
-bit.ly/1EYITll
● Females in ICT stats bit.ly/2wehMHQ, and ABS
● Companies with women on boards perform
better - bit.ly/1Dk1Vk0
Paula Burton (Ngov)
@paulangov
pburton@dius.com.au
Always looking for great people to
partner with
Shennae Searle
@shennaesearle
shennae.searle@edumail.vic.gov.au
Dr of Education (Current)
Master of Education Specialising in Gifted Education
Educational Consultant - Mensa
● Why diverse teams are smarter -
bit.ly/2e8tqvX
● Jobs at risk from digital disruption -
pwc.to/2xffK7d
● Shortage of skilled tech talent - bit.ly/2q8TXip
● Product Management Salary Survey -
bit.ly/2wzkto9
● Diversity - Phillips, K, Liljenquist, K.,& Neale, K.
(2010) Heterogeneity can boost group
performance stanford and North Western
University
● Kevin Spacey speech - bit.ly/2wq0s2S