Women in Engineering & IT Program
What is the Women in Engineering & IT Program? Supported by 16 industry and government partners, our WiE&IT Program is one of the first of its kind in Canada and hopes to help close the gender gap in STEM. The program runs from the start of the academic year in September to the end of the academic year in April and provides women students and alumnae with the ability to:
✓ Attend a series of networking events to build your professional network (called “Industry Talks” and “Career Fair”)
✓ Learn from leading engineering/IT professionals through limited informal mentorship circles (called “Candid Conversations”)
✓ Develop your soft skills to gain a competitive edge for future opportunities (called “UpSkill Video Series”)
How to become a member of the program: We encourage women from all backgrounds and identities to join our WiE&IT Program. We are committed to creating spaces that are welcoming and supportive to women of all backgrounds, intersecting identities, and experiences – including racialized women, women with disabilities, Indigenous women, etc.
Women students and alumnae are automatically eligible for the program and become members by attending a minimum of two Candid Conversations, Industry Talks, or Career Fair events per academic year. Benefits of being a member include: receiving CCR recognition, a LinkedIn badge (an icon you can add to your profile, earned by completing a task), and program completion certificate.
WiE&IT Program Events
Candid Conversations
Candid Conversations are events for women students who are looking for informal mentorship opportunities. In small groups, participants will hear firsthand from a working professional about their experience going from university into the engineering or IT workforce and how they’ve set their career up for success. Participants will be able to engage in free flowing conversation between the professional and other attendees.
Career Fair
The Career Fair is an event for women students and alumnae in STEM who want to establish and grow their professional network. Students and alumnae who attend the event will get to speak to representatives who work at leading engineering and IT organizations. Participants will learn: what these organizations do, future employment opportunities, and how to establish employability skills.
Industry Talks
Industry Talks are events for women students and alumnae in STEM who want to learn about our program partners’ equity, diversity and inclusion commitments. Whether you’re a first year student, graduating this spring or in your first role, learning about a leading employer’s equity, diversity, and inclusion commitments to its employees is a valuable opportunity and will help you make informed decisions about your career.
UpSkill Video Series
We sat down with STEM professionals to learn how they deal with imposter syndrome and the best piece of advice they have for their 20-year-old-selves.
Company Tours
Company tours are a chance for women students to tour a company in person, where they’ll get a snapshot of what it’s like to work in an office, collaborate with employees, and speak directly to employees of the organization.
Subscribe to our mailing list to learn more about our next tour →
Carleton Women in Engineering and IT Stories
WiE&IT Program Partners
Thank you to our wide array of industry and government partners!
Supporting Women in STEM
The Faculty of Engineering and Design at Carleton University is committed to initiatives which support women in engineering and information technology at every step along their journey. Too often, female students in high school do not view STEM as a viable academic and career path.
Changing perceptions and fostering interest in engineering, technology and innovation among young people in our community is a top priority for us. The recruitment and retention of women in our engineering programs will help foster the next generation of leaders of industry, contributing to a larger, qualified and diverse workforce. That’s why we offer support to prospective students well before they step foot on campus.
Increase in female enrollment in our engineering and IT programs over the past ten years:
94%
Current engineering and IT students at Carleton who are women:
22.3%
New women faculty members who have joined the Faculty of Engineering and Design since January 2020:
23
Additional Programs and Reports
Virtual Ventures
Virtual Ventures is a not-for-profit organization run under the Faculty of Engineering and Design at Carleton University. Virtual Ventures offers nationally recognized technology and engineering programs for youth who have completed junior kindergarten – grade 12.
Programs run through Virtual Ventures include summer camp, fall and winter clubs, school outreach workshops, InSTEM (Indigenous Youth in STEM) programs and Girls Outreach Events. Virtual Ventures provides the youth of Ottawa with stimulating experiences in all aspects of computers, information technology, engineering, and science. Virtual Ventures marks its 25th year of operation in 2019.
Female Faculty Members
Faculty of Engineering and Design
Women in Engineering and IT Spotlights
Research Spotlight: Francesca Tsimiklis
REV UP Panel
Research Spotlight: Alicia Gal
Male Allyship in STEM Panel