It sounded a bit like a Nike ad when the panelists at the International Women’s Day discussion at Humber Polytechnic were asked for advice they would give to high school students interested in pursuing a career in engineering and technology.

Each of the four speakers - Sharmin Kassam, Ellis Don senior designer Constructions Sciences Division and Humber alumna; Renee Price, Vale Base Metals general manager HSE Strategy and Systems; Raji Subramanian, Humber Electronics Engineering program coordinator; and Lija Ward, supervisor Distribution Optimization Engineering at Enbridge Gas  - had the same advice. Just do it.

“There’s a place for you in engineering and technology,” Subramanian told the audience, which included 75 students from Father Henry Carr Catholic Secondary School. “It’s an industry that’s driving our society right now and there are many new opportunities opening up and you can be a part of that.”

The “Championing Women in STEM” luncheon and panel discussion was hosted by the Faculty of Applied Sciences and Technology in support of their partnership with National Engineering Month, Canada’s largest celebration of engineering excellence during the month of March.

Ward added that pursuing post-secondary studies in STEM can open doors in the future, adding that some of her friends with engineering degrees went on to become lawyers and doctors.

“Engineering and STEM provides you with a skill set that applies to many other industries,” added Price.

The panel discussion, moderated by Janice Wojcik, manager of Work-Integrated Learning and Co-op at Humber, encouraged the panelists to share their authentic stories and insights with guests including the high school students, Humber’s Women in Engineering Club, Humber faculty and industry leaders. Their stories aligned with this year’s International Women’s Day theme: Accelerate Action.

Prior to the panel discussion, the students toured the Barrett Centre for Technology Innovation.

During the discussion, the panelists were asked to share what inspired them to pursue a career in STEM. Price said she enjoyed math and science and was looking for a career that would provide her with a good income.

Subramanian told the audience that women have been contributing to STEM for decades, but she recognized that women are underrepresented in the field.

“We have a ways to go and more work to do,” said Subramanian.

During the talk, it was shared that Engineers Canada is working to increase the representation of women in engineering through its 30 by 30 initiative that calls for raising the percentage of newly licensed engineers who are women to 30 per cent by the year 2030.   

Ward said work needs to be done in recruitment and retention to keep women in the field.  

When asked about the role mentorship and work-integrated learning play in the advancement of women in STEM, Kassam shared that Humber played a big part in her career journey. Her co-op in Humber’s Civil Engineering Technology program helped connect her with a colleague who reached out several years later to tell Kassam about a job lead. She landed that job, which eventually led to her current position.

“When I started in engineering, about one in four people in an engineering program were women. Today, about 20 to 40 per cent of graduates from engineering programs are women,” said Price. “We’re challenging ourselves as an organization to shift our thinking to be prepared for the influx of women graduating.”

More information about some of the STEM-related programs Humber offers can be found by visiting the Faculty of Applied Sciences & Technology website.