The Future will be soon. And it will be female
Women in engineering have changed the world of technology. However, this is still not always a matter of course. Fill leads the way here
When you look at today's engineering workplaces, they differ greatly from the environment 30 years ago. The most obvious feature: the proportion of women. Overall, everything is brighter, calmer, more solution-oriented, and more positive. Because women are changing technology.
Doll or Lego, blue or pink, princess or knight – these were formerly decisions that could even be made before birth. Whereby "formerly" is still "today" in some places. Girls and boys were assigned clear role models, which also included a set of possible and impossible careers.
In fact, more than 70 percent of people who work in the technical field say that their career aspiration was molded as early as kindergarten age. But how do children – especially girls – come into contact with technology at this age? With the Future Lab, Fill has set an important goal: to get children enthusiastic about technology through play. A first step towards eliminating role models.
For Carmen Kobencic, stereotypical statements such as "women react far too sensitively" are just as outdated as the misconception that girls are not interested in cars or technical devices.
"My favorite subjects at school have always been mathematics and physics - unlike what you would expect from a girl. Because of these interests, I knew in junior high that I would find myself in a technical profession later."
//Carmen Kobencic, Software Development Vision at Fill
In HTL with a focus on communications, she already had her first points of contact with camera technology. Now she works at Fill in the Vision software development department. Carmen is responsible for programming and implementing machine vision projects. As an image processing expert, she develops optical inspection systems and checks them for cost efficiency and technical requirements.
There's no denying that the world of technology is still a male domain. That has less to do with the industry itself than with external factors that make it more difficult for women to have a career – whatever the field. Apart from familiar stereotypes, it is the poor compatibility of an intensive profession with family planning, feelings of guilt that young mothers have if they pursue a career, and the masculine environment in many companies that prevent careers or bring them to an untimely end.
"I learned as a child that you can sometimes swim against the tide, that you have to fight your way through certain situations, and that it often takes patience. Nevertheless, I made a conscious decision to pursue a technical education. I think it's been the best decision in my life so far."
//Carmen Kobencic, Software Development Vision at Fill
The shortage of qualified workers means that the industry has been trying to make up for societal and legal deficits for several years now. Fill plays a particularly pioneering role here. After all, equality ("We are one") is not just a few empty words in the corporate philosophy; it is one of the company's practiced values. Equal opportunities result from the possibility to adapt one's work situation to personal circumstances after maternity leave. Working from home, part-time employment models, a crèche, and holiday daycare are just some of the offerings intended to make it easier for young mothers in particular to maintain contact with the working world. It also means they can pursue their chosen vocation. And it means that everyone, male and female, finds recognition in this role.
In practice, this is only achievable after years of raising awareness. It's clear that Fill's efforts are paying off, because the number of women in the company is increasing. When Sandra Hammerer started at Fill in 2008, the now 42-year-old machine engineer and mother of a 9-year-old daughter was one of the first women in her area.
"When I joined the company back then, I was the first woman in this profession, and that wasn't so easy to begin with. As a woman, I first had to prove myself to my male colleagues."
//Sandra Hammerer, Machine Engineer
Once the initial skepticism of her male colleagues had been overcome, gender wasn't an issue anymore. Because Sandra is the equal of anyone technically. She was one of the first to open up the field of machine installation for women. Today, more and more young women see a future with boiler suit and torque wrench. Many women even find working in a team with mostly male colleagues quite pleasant.
"I became very independent in my work relatively quickly, allowing me then to take responsibility for my tasks."
//Sandra Hammerer, Machine Engineer
In the past, she enjoyed traveling to take part in installation projects on a regular basis. Then, as a single mother with a toddler at home, it soon looked as if this would no longer be possible – but a solution was found relatively quickly. Sandra now works in the Machining Processes department. We look forward to meeting her daughter. Because the future is female.
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