LOS ANGELES, Feb. 22, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Northrop Grumman Corporation's (NYSE:NOC) Chineta Davis, vice president and general manager of Operations at the company's Electronic System's sector, was the keynote speaker at the Engineer Your Life(tm) Conference held in Washington, D.C. earlier this week. The conference officially launched the Engineer Your Life(tm) initiative that encourages college-bound girls to consider engineering careers.
Davis shared that the coalition's research identified that high school girls want their future job to be enjoyable and in a good working environment, relevant so they can make a difference, lucrative with good salaries and flexible. The campaign has developed and tested three key messages: creativity has its rewards, explore the possibilities, and make a world of difference.
"I can apply these motivators to my own life," said Davis. "I've had 14 different jobs in my 32 years working on programs that saved lives from undersea to cyberspace. We are repositioning engineering as an exciting and rewarding career choice through Engineer Your Life."
Central to the initiative is the Engineer Your Life(tm) website, www.engineeryourlife.org, which reaches out to high school girls, parents, engineers and counselors. The website provides advice on preparing for college, information about different types of engineer work and a section dedicated to the stories of real women engineers.
The Engineer Your Life(tm) initiative focuses on exposing and educating high school girls about different engineering fields -- from mechanical to chemical engineering. In the "Find Your Dream Job" section of the website, visitors can learn about specific engineering work -- a bioengineer's project to grow tissues that help repair damage caused by heart attacks and an electrical engineer's work on communication satellites.
"Engineer Your Life(tm) is unique in that it focuses on the rewards of an engineering career while many other initiatives concentrate on the challenges of pursuing engineering careers," said Sandra Evers-Manly, vice president of corporate responsibility for Northrop Grumman. The company, through its Foundation, is one of the Engineer Your Life(tm) sponsors. "This campaign emphasizes the innovation and creativity involved in engineering, various career paths, and the lasting contributions made by engineers to our society."
Engineer Your Life(tm) also advises counselors, parents and engineers on addressing stereotypes and inspiring the next generation to pursue careers in engineering. The campaign plans to reach out to approximately 50,000 high school girls later this year and host informational tables at college fairs around the country that reach 800,000 people annually.
Northrop Grumman Corporation is a $32 billion global defense and technology company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in information and services, electronics, aerospace and shipbuilding to government and commercial customers worldwide.