Attracting more young women to the business world

While recent attention has focused on bringing more women into the fields of science, technology and engineering, many people may not realize we’re seeing a similar issue in the world of business, when it comes to a few specific fields, such as finance, computer information systems and economics. That’s why the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University is hosting a special event this week.

“We want to make young women aware of the opportunities in all sectors of business,” says Amy Hillman, W. P. Carey School of Business executive dean. “It’s important to dispel the myth that certain business areas are more oriented toward men. We work with recruiters from top companies all the time, and they continue to tell us they want more female candidates for the jobs they have open.”

Intel is the primary sponsor of the W. P. Carey School’s “Young Women in Business Forum,” March 9. About 200 college students, plus students from at least 10 local high schools are planning to attend. Groups from Maricopa High School, Chandler High School, Mountain Pointe High School, Thunderbird High School and Marcos de Niza High School are being bussed to the event, in which 250 to 300 students total are expected to participate.

“This is a chance for young women who aren’t sure what they want to do for a living to learn more about some of the most popular business fields out there,” says Tim Desch, assistant dean for undergraduate admissions at the W. P. Carey School of Business. “For example, we have an incredible job-placement rate for our nationally renowned supply chain management program, but high school students may not even know much about that particular field.”

In addition, the event will include seminars about issues that can be especially important to women in the workplace, such as work-life balance and mentoring.

“Our top employers emphasize that women bring tremendous value and diverse viewpoints to their organizations, especially in areas that have been male-dominated in the past,” says Hillman. “We want to help young women find the motivation to enter these fields and provide them with the tools to succeed.”

The forum will be held at Arizona State University’s Tempe campus in the Memorial Union from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., March 9. For more information or to register for the “Young Women in Business Forum,” contact Amy Ahlstromer at (480) 965-0696 or Amy.Ahlstromer@asu.edu.