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At General Motors, we envision a future with Zero Crashes, Zero Emissions and Zero Congestion – an ambitious goal that can revolutionize how people live and move around the Earth. It’s a goal that reimagines environmental health and safety, working to mitigate impact through the power of automotive technology. This is our vision for a better tomorrow, but we need help to succeed.
As GM works to transform the automotive industry and subsequently, the world, a strong and inclusive workforce is critical. With varying backgrounds and perspectives, we can unlock new and creative ideas that will spearhead the next evolution of self-driving vehicles, shared mobility, electrification and concepts that have yet to be imagined.
This is why we invest in STEM education – to foster the next generation of leaders bound to change the world as we know it.
STEM Education and the Next Generation of Leaders
Women in STEM are especially sparse. To spearhead this change, we are teaming up with Girl Scouts of the USA to create a badge series that will provide those in grades K-5 with an opportunity to learn about the process of developing a new vehicle. This new Automotive Badge Series will be based on automotive engineering, design and manufacturing, helping to ensure that the next generation of female leaders across the United States not only have an opportunity to explore STEM, but a career in the automotive industry as well.
Developed in conjunction with GM engineers and designers, some of whom are former Girl Scouts themselves, the curriculum for the series will leverage immersive learning, computational thinking and the digitization of education to provide hands-on experiences for the girls. They will see firsthand how vehicles are developed from start-to-finish, using challenging yet rewarding experiments and activities to engage in along the way.
The experience will also include the opportunity to hear from GM leaders who are passionate advocates of STEM education, and who can share their incredible journeys with those interested in the field.
Julia is a Girl Scout who recently completed the Automotive badge series. She interviewed Tonawanda Engine Assembly Area Manager Tara Wasik about her role at GM and sought advice for girls who pursue careers in automotive engineering. Tara's advice to Julia was to "ask questions and always be true to yourself."
From Girl Scouts to Successful STEM Careers at GM
JAMIE BREWER
Vehicle Chief Engineer on the Next Generation Battery Electric Vehicle - Cadillac LYRIQ
Hometown: Lake Orion, MI
Education: BS, Mechanical Engineering – University of Michigan, MBA – Oakland University
Years with GM: 22 years
Why did you want to be part of this collaboration between GM and Girl Scouts?
I have very fond childhood memories of being both a Brownie and a Girl Scout. The friendships I made, and the confidence I gained in myself were both critical to my development and has helped me become the woman I am today. I am very excited to help support the next generation of amazing young women and hopefully encourage some of them to pursue a career in STEM.
Why do you think it’s important for girls to pursue STEM careers? To pursue a career in the automotive industry?
I believe diversity of thought is critical to advancing as a society, both socially and technically. We currently do not have enough women in STEM professions and therefore do not see the full advantage of thought diversity in technical problem solving. The more diverse insight that is provided during the technical development stage of a product, the higher the likelihood of that product meeting the needs of a larger population, including women.
How do you think the new Girl Scout badge series will encourage girls to pursue a STEM or automotive career?
Not only will this new badge foster interest and excitement in both STEM and the automotive industry, but it can also help to make the pursuit of careers in these areas more natural and common place among women.
SHARON GAUCI
Executive Director, Global Industrial Design
Hometown: Melbourne, Australia
Education: BA, Industrial Design – Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne Australia
Years with GM: 16 years
Why did you want to be part of this collaboration between GM and Girl Scouts?
As a successful female leader, I think it is important to be a role model to the next generation of women by inspiring young girls and educating them about non-traditional careers in STEM fields. The Girl Scouts collaboration is an opportunity to reach, inspire and educate 1.7 million young girls in the USA about our business and showcase our careers. There still isn’t enough diversity including other minority groups in many traditionally male businesses, nor enough women in leadership and board positions. We all win when diversity is embraced and represented equally.
Why do you think it’s important for girls to pursue STEM careers? To pursue a career in the automotive industry?
I’ve been fortunate to have a 27-year career in the automotive business. In this industry, there is so much opportunity to pursue and continue an amazing career where you can learn, grow and develop. In my career I have worked for a number of different OEM’s and held many different positions – from marketing cars to the design, look and feel of the product. I have also had the opportunity to live and work in many different countries and have been exposed to so many talented people. The products and technology we are working on are exciting too.
How do you think the new Girl Scout badge series will encourage girls to pursue a STEM or automotive career?
The new Girl Scouts badge series will expose young girls to different areas of our business in Design, Engineering and Manufacturing and show them the diversity of careers we have in our business.
Building a Diverse, STEM Talent Pipeline
Along with our commitment to STEM Education, we are dedicated to being the most inclusive company in the world and by teaming up with Girl Scouts to create this badge series, girls in every residential zip-code across the United States will have the opportunity to explore STEM as a potential career path.
Please direct any questions about GM’s collaboration with Girl Scouts or the automotive badge series to givingback@gm.com.