STEM Fields

Utah’s booming tech and STEM economy is growing fast, yet research shows that women remain significantly underrepresented in these high‑opportunity fields. Although women make up 45% of Utah’s workforce, they hold only 23.9% of STEM jobs, and Utah girls (despite strong aptitude) show lower interest in STEM because of persistent myths about their abilities. Women who do enter STEM are also more likely to leave due to isolation, bias, and a lack of mentors. With the average salary of STEM careers more than double that of non‑STEM jobs, and millions of STEM positions opening nationwide in the coming decade, Utah’s future depends on ensuring women and girls can thrive in these fields. Increasing their participation strengthens families, fuels innovation, and supports a stronger statewide economy.

A Bolder Way Forward’s STEM Fields Spoke is working with partner organizations to ensure that all women and girls in Utah have a choice to pursue career opportunities in STEM or other nontraditional female fields. Learn how Utah can help women and girls recognize their inherent abilities and confidently pursue and succeed in STEM by visiting the resources below. Individuals, organizations, and communities can also take specific actions to help. To get engaged, email the UWLP Community Connector (Amy Anderson).

Key Resources

Informational Video

Resource Kit

Research Snapshot

What Utahns Need to Know

Spoke Podcast

Bold Goals

Through collective impact and systems thinking, Utah can improve things by working towards the following goals:

Increase the number of women earning Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) degrees and certificates in Utah. [Metric Dashboard]
Increase the number of Utah women in STEM occupations. [Metric Dashboard]
Increase the number of girls and young women taking Continuing Technical Education (CTE) courses in middle and high school. [Metric Forthcoming]
Increase the number of girls and young women attending STEM related camps, programs, and conferences in Utah. [Metric Forthcoming]
Shift Utahns’ agreement (understanding and perceptions) in the following areas: [Metric Dashboard]
1. STEM fields are welcoming fields for women and girls in Utah. (Increase agreement)
2. We don’t need more women in STEM fields in Utah. (Decrease agreement)
3. STEM jobs are not more difficult than jobs in other industries in Utah. (Increase women’s agreement)
4. Women can successfully advance their careers in STEM industries in Utah. (Increase agreement)

Spoke Advisors

Cydni Tetro (Founder, Women Tech Council)
Kristin Wright (Programs Director, Women Tech Council)
Stacy Firth (Associate Professor, University of Utah)
Aimee Edwards (Head of Global & Public Affairs, Nusano)
Angela Trego (Rocket Scientist, Author, and Speaker)
Tami Goetz (State Science Advisor, UT Governor's Office)
Owen Miller (STEM Outreach Coordinator, UVU Smith College)

What You Can Do

Highlight and recognize women you know working in STEM and other nontraditional female fields on social media.

Engage girls and young women in conversations about the wide range of STEM career opportunities available to them (see the resource kit for ideas).

Encourage Utah women currently employed in STEM fields to pursue advancement opportunities within their organizations.

Community Partners

Women Tech Council helps advance women and girls in STEM and propels the pipeline from K-12 to the C‑suite through tech industry engagement and community partnerships. Initiatives include the SheTech program, Women Tech Awards, and the Shatter List.

The Utah STEM Action Center advances statewide STEM education by promoting best‑practice teaching and expanding access to high‑quality resources. Efforts include the funding of hands‑on STEM learning grants, events, and classroom programs to bring experiences directly to students.

SheTech is a Women Tech Council initiative empowering Utah girls through hands‑on tech experiences and mentorship. Programming includes a Student Board, internship pathways, and the annual SheTech Explorer Day—Utah’s largest hands‑on STEM event for girls.

Club Ability expands access to STEM by offering bilingual, family‑focused tech education for underserved communities. It empowers participants to become tech creators through hands‑on learning in coding, animation, and digital design.

Code Adventure offers free, hands‑on coding camps for youth—especially girls and students from underserved communities. Mentor-supported experiences include software development, UX design, data analytics, and cybersecurity.

YouScience is a career‑discovery platform that uses aptitude‑based assessments to match individuals with careers where they’re naturally likely to succeed. It helps students connect their strengths to real‑world STEM education and job pathways.

BioHive is a Utah life‑sciences and healthcare‑innovation community that unites companies, talent, and partners. Its Women in Tech & Science (WITS) chapter promotes participation and leadership opportunities for women.

Utah SWENext empowers youth to explore STEM through inclusive, hands‑on events. As part of the Society of Women Engineers' free pre‑college program,it helps students build confidence and connect with role models in engineering.

The Society of Women Engineers UT chapter supports women in engineering through community building, professional development, and STEM outreach.It helps students build skills, network, and engage in outreach to inspire future engineers.

The annual Women4STEM Conference in Utah empowers women and girls to explore and pursue STEM through inspiring speakers, panels, and networking. Attendees connect with role models and resources that build confidence as STEM leaders.

Tech‑Moms is a Utah nonprofit that helps women transition into tech careers through coding and career‑development programs. They offer technical training, mentoring, and community to build confidence and open doors to flexible tech jobs.

Angela Trego is an author, engineer, and educator who builds confidence and strengthens STEM learning through research‑based teaching, training, and outreach. She offers mentoring, speaking, and leadership initiatives to address imposter syndrome.