WWEST’s very own Dr. Elizabeth Croft and Jennifer Pelletier are featured in the October issue of Innovation magazine. They examine diversity in organizations.

“Recent labour studies indicate that demand for engineering and geoscience professionals in Canada will increase over the next decade.Combined with aging demographics, we may soon face significant shortages in many disciplines, particularly in western Canada. In the face of a looming skill shortage companies need to be active in recruiting and retaining a skilled and diverse workforce.Compared to other professions, engineering has been much less successful in attracting participation from the largest pool of available talent on university campuses today, namely women, representing over 55% of enrolled degree students. In 2010, women accounted for only 10.5% of Canada’s registered professional engineers, and less than 18% of enrolled students. Furthermore, recent studies identified workplace culture as a significant barrier to the retention and advancement of women (N Fouad and R Singh, “Stemming the Tide:Why Women Leave Engineering,” 2011) and perceived discrimination as a serious workplace concern (Prism Economics, “2010 Survey of Workplace Conditions for Engineers,” 2010).”

Please read the full article here.