Kindergarten – Grade 12 (K-12)

Challenges/Barriers: 

  • Perception of engineering as male-dominated and centered on building and construction
  • Misconceptions about the engineering profession
  • High school course prerequisites (e.g., physics)
  • Socio-economic barriers
  • Insufficient mentorship and role models
  • Lack of early exposure to engineering
  • Lack of confidence and self-efficacy in STEM subjects
  • Stereotypes and bias in STEM education
  • Educational gaps and lack of support for teachers
  • Literacy proficiency 

Opportunities/Resources: 

Licensure support (Professional Engineer – P.Eng.)

Challenges/Barriers: 

  • Compared to the public we serve, women are underrepresented in licensed engineers
  • Lower retention rate for women who do get their license (referred to as the ‘leaky pipeline’)
  • Women report more negative/challenging experiences of the licensure process
  • Women report experiencing more self-doubt when documenting their licensure experience records
  • Women are less likely to receive stretch assignments or be given the same opportunities for technical projects as their male counterparts (especially in their early career). 

Opportunities/Resources: 

  • Volunteer to mentor university students or professionals who are pursuing licensure – sign up to hear of local opportunities, as available: HERE
  • Encourage those you know who is pursuing licensure to sign-up to Pathways to Engineering Newsletter
  • Or if someone obtained their engineering education outside of Canada, encourage them to look at resources at Engineer Here.
  • Consider organizing a P.Eng. working/support group at your workplace and specifically encourage women to join. Let them know you think they can do it!
  • LinkedIn Challenge: create a video and post your licensure story - how does having a P.Eng. set you apart in your career? Tag #EngineeringLicensure and link to Pathway to Engineering.