Reflections on the path to 30 by 30

As always, the recent 2018 National Membership Report provided valuable insights into the state of Canada’s engineering profession. Among the report’s findings, we saw that the number of newly licensed engineers who were women came in at 17.4 per cent, slightly higher than where it has been for the past four years. This may be a less than ideal outcome, but, notably, certain jurisdictions did see higher numbers than ever before.

All of Canada’s engineering regulators have endorsed 30 by 30, and some regulator councils have demonstrated their support for the initiative by allocating dedicated resources, including hiring diversity coordinators and funding programming on 30 by 30. Moves like this reflect a deeper culture shift, taking some of the work that’s already been accomplished by Women in Engineering committees and incorporating it into the fabric of organizations.

Through such efforts, in 2017, Saskatchewan saw its number of newly licensed engineers who are women rise to 21.1 per cent, putting it several points ahead of the national average. Margaret Anne Hodges, P.Eng., FEC, 30 by 30 Champion from the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Saskatchewan, feels that much of their progress towards the goal stems from efforts to raise awareness. “30 by 30 is generating a conversation about women in STEM,” she says. “The conversation generates awareness, awareness creates choice, and young women are hearing they can choose engineering—and they are!” 

Engineers Yukon also reached impressive heights, with women making up 28.6 per cent of newly licensed engineers—a stone’s throw from the national target of 30 per cent. Kirsten Hogan, P.Eng., 30 by 30 Champion from Engineers Yukon provided her thoughts on this number, saying that “In the Yukon, we have found that our success is due to building a community within our female membership, where engineers who are women feel included and supported.” As for the future, she says that, “We hope that the 30 by 30 initiative continues to build on this sense of community to allow all of our members to reach their full potential, and to inspire the next generation of engineers.”

Melanie Williams, P.Eng., 30 by 30 Champion from Nothwest Territories and Nunavut Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists echoes the sentiments of Hodges and Hogan, saying that many of the success stories of 30 by 30 can be attributed to “jurisdictions getting the message out there.” She feels strongly that “If we continue to promote the initiative and reach as many people as possible, the number of newly licensed female engineers will keep going up.”

The 30 by 30 Champions, a nationally representative group of allies from regulators, associations, industry, and academia have been working behind the scenes to generate more of the awareness that engineers like Williams feel is so critical. In 2019, the Champions will be working to better define the areas where efforts have been effective and where they need to grow. This understanding, in turn, will feed into a larger plan to develop a reinvigorated national program strategy.  

Notably, in the next several years, it will become easier to assess the impact the program is having on the representation of women in the profession. That’s because 30 by 30 was initiated in 2014, which means that many engineering program graduates who were finishing their degrees at that time will soon qualify to apply for licensure.

In the meantime, new Champions have continued to join the cause every month, and each one doesn’t just add to but amplifies the overall efforts. At the end of the day, though, 30 by 30 isn’t just a number. It reflects the desire for an engineering profession that is stronger and more resilient, benefitting increasingly from diverse perspectives that can address the complex problems of the future.