Equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives at Canadian universities
Ryerson, Waterloo, Western, UOIT: encouraging women to consider careers in engineering
A partnership between four Ontario universities and Hydro One to encourage young women to study engineering has yielded impressive results since its inception in 2012. The project, “Hydro One Women in Engineering University Partnership”, transforms rival institutions into collaborators. Working in unison, Ryerson University, Western, Waterloo and University of Ontario Institute of Technology do outreach at elementary, high school and university levels, and other networking activities to encourage women to consider a career in engineering. For its part, Hydro One offers financial support and internships to university students through its Women in Engineering Scholarship Program.
Since 2012, their efforts have increased women’s enrolment in engineering programs at the four universities by 65 per cent. From 2014 to 2016, the number of women in electrical engineering internships tripled. At Hydro One, the number of applications from women for a two-year training program (New Grad) rose by 256 per cent. To date, the partnership has supported close to 19,000 students across all four of the universities.
