Talk to teenage girls about future careers and the chances are that those bent on third-level will tell you that they want to be teachers, nurses, lawyers doctors or accountants. Although women have made huge career strides in recent years and great inroads into what were until quite recently largely male preserves, they remain focused on traditional areas of employment where jobs are limited. Sadly, they are overlooking career opportunities in the high-tech industries where jobs are plentiful and the long-term prospects excellent.

"The lack of women in engineering is a problem," says Una Halligan, public affairs manager of Hewlett-Packard Manufacturing (Ireland). "The perception is that it is a male-oriented area but that is simply not true."

A major problem for young people choosing careers is that they remain uninformed about the types of jobs on offer in the new industries, she notes. "People think that they are the sort of jobs where you have to get your hands dirty - they don't realise that the new industries are high-tech and computerised. Young people don't have the chance to visit companies to see what types of jobs are available."

Hewlett-Packard, which manufactures ink-jet cartridges, currently employs about 1,300. "We employ mechanical and electrical engineers and technicians," says Halligan. "We recruit people with certificates, diplomas and degrees." Like most of the high-tech companies, Hewlett-Packard encourages employees to upgrade and extend their skills. Quite a number of our people are involved in continuing education - some people go on to do degrees while many people update their skills on special programmes at RTC Tallaght, sponsored by the company."

Women are particularly strong in the aptitudes sought by companies such as Hewlett-Packard. "We look for people with good communication and interpersonal skills and who can work well in teams," says Halligan. "Women score well in these areas."