Employed scientists and engineers engage in many different professional development activities. These include attending meetings, participating in professional societies or associations, and attending work-related workshops or seminars.

Approximately half of all employed scientists and engineers, as defined by education or occupation, in 1999 attended professional meetings in the previous year. (See text table 6-4 .) Men differed little from women, and scientists and engineers with disabilities differed little from those without disabilities, in attendance at professional meetings. The various racial/ethnic groups did differ somewhat, however. For example, Asians were less likely than members of other racial/ethnic groups to attend professional meetings, although this difference is likely field related; Hispanic engineers were more likely than white engineers to attend professional meetings; and black physical scientists were less likely than most others in their profession to attend professional meetings.

Slightly more than half of employed scientists and engineers in 1999 reported belonging to a national or international professional society or association. (See text table 6-5 .) Among life and physical scientists, women were less likely than men to be members of a professional society or association. Among computer/math scientists and life and related scientists, blacks were more likely than members of most other racial/ethnic groups to belong to professional societies; and, among social and related scientists, both blacks and whites were more likely than members of most other racial/ethnic groups to belong to professional societies. There were few differences by disability status in professional society membership.

Sixty-seven percent of those employed in S&E occupations in 1999 attended work-related training in the previous year. (See figure 6-3 .) Of those attending such training, 87 percent pursued training in their occupational field; 26 percent pursued management training; and 22 percent pursued general professional training, such as public speaking or business writing. (See appendix table 6-11.) Among those attending training, men were more likely than women to attend management training. There were relatively few differences by race/ethnicity or disability status in this type of training. Regardless of sex, race/ethnicity, or disability status, the top two primary reasons cited by employed scientists and engineers, in S&E and non-S&E occupations, for engaging in work-related training activities were (1) to gain further skills in their occupational field or (2) because it is required or expected by their employers. (See text table 6-6 and appendix table 6-12.)