Female graduation rate in STEM programs in tertiary education : the case of the Gulf Cooperation council Countries (GCCs)

Abstract

There is increased demand for professionals with science, technology, engineering and mathematical (STEM) skills globally and with the advent of the fourth industrial revolution, it is expected that there will be new jobs which requires new skills. It is therefore imperative that there are increased demands in enrolment and graduation rate in STEM programs so as to curtail the disproportionality between current skills and the skills that are vital for the future. The study focused on the percentage of graduates from STEM programmes in tertiary education in the GCCs who are women. Data from World Bank provided insight into the graduation rate in STEM programs. Findings from the study revealed that the higher education landscape in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has had significant development over the past two decades and one of the things that made this possible is the revenues from oil and gas exports and the diversification into the knowledge driven economy. It was also found out that females are important in STEM programs, and this was considered from a human, scientific and development perspective. The study recommended that that there should be intensification of effort on females transiting from the universities into employment to encourage sustainability and contribute to the sustainable development goals (SDGs).