The 2024 30 by 30 Conference: Turning Knowledge Into Action for Gender Equity in Engineering, kicked off yesterday, April 24, with a virtual fireside chat and interactive workshop about creating equitable engineering workplaces. The Conference continues with an in-person Summit on May 22 in Winnipeg, MB; tickets are still available.
“Yesterday was a great kick-off to this year’s 30 by 30 Conference, with engaging discussions and important learnings for all of us dedicated to advancing gender equity in engineering” said Tim Joseph, Engineers Canada Board Director and 30 by 30 Board Champion. “If you haven’t already got your ticket, please consider joining us at the in-person Summit in Winnipeg. Everyone is welcome – women, men, gender-diverse people – we all have a role to play in shifting engineering culture to be more equitable, diverse, and inclusive of all people.”
The in-person Summit will feature a keynote presentation from Prairie Research Associates, who have recently conducted an environmental scan of the current state and a formal evaluation and lessons learned of the 30 by 30 initiative, setting the stage for deeper discussion throughout the day. Feminuity will then lead all attendees through an interactive workshop that presents participants the opportunity to reflect on their personal commitment to gender equity and to grow their leadership skills to become effective champions for gender equity. In the afternoon, attendees will attend breakout sessions that focus on fostering gender equity in different sectors: engineering employers, higher education institutions, and engineering regulation. The conference concludes with a “Beyond 30 by 30” panel discussion that will consider what the next six years of the 30 by 30 initiative could bring.
Registration to the in-person event closes on May 1. Tickets are only $150, and engineers may be eligible to claim continuing professional development (CPD) hours for attending.
Yesterday’s virtual kick-off of the 2024 Conference saw over 150 attendees tuning in for a fireside chat with John Gamble, CEO of the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies – Canada (ACEC), and Engineers Canada’s Vice President, Corporate Affairs and Strategic Partnerships, Jeanette Southwood. They explored the progress engineering workplaces have made in welcoming and including people of various social identities and positionalities in the engineering profession over the last five years and what lies ahead.
The fireside chat was followed by a 1.5-hour interactive workshop led by QuakeLab’s Sharon Nyangweso, Sanaa Jabeen Mughal, and Susan Ong. The workshop built on participants’ existing knowledge and moved to action while approaching the challenges in front of them through a systems lens. Attendees left with clarity about their areas of control, and what collaboration and action could look like to advance gender equity in engineering workplaces.
