OACETT to collaborate on government-funded project to reduce barriers to women working in STEM
OACETT member Kathy Lerette, C.E.T. is one of three industry leaders selected to guide a new 36-month project to address the barriers contributing to the underrepresentation of women in STEM that will receive $385,000 in support from Status of Women Canada (SWC).
The Honourable Maryam Monsef, minister of status of women, announced the Government of Canada funding for this and eight other projects that will help advance gender equality last month.
Lerette, senior vice president, business transformation at Alectra Utilities, will work alongside Annette Bergeron, P.Eng., president-elect, Engineers Canada; and Valerie Davidson, P.Eng., professor at the University of Guelph, to further the OSPE-led project, titled
Canada 150 STEM Challenge: Overcoming Systemic Barriers for Women Choosing STEM Careers.
OSPE and OACETT will collaborate with students, educational institutions, employers, governments, STEM professionals, parents and stakeholders to collect and analyze grassroots perspectives; develop and pilot strategies to remove systemic barriers using online tools designed to support women and girls; and create and promote workplace and government policy recommendations.
Read more about this initiative on OSPE’s blog.
Pictured at the funding announcement event are (l to r): Tess O’Mara, project administrator, OSPE; Jonathan Hack, P.Eng., president and chair, OSPE; Annette Bergeron, P.Eng., president-elect, Engineers Canada; Kathy Lerette, C.E.T., senior vice president, business transformation, Alectra Utilities; The Honourable Maryam Monsef, minister of status of women; Dr. Valerie Davidson, P.Eng., professor at the University of Guelph; and Kim Pickett, C.E.T., president-elect, OACETT.