Engineers want to double the rate at which women enter the field in Manitoba

When engineer Lindsay Melvin first took a computer class in high school, she ended up dropping out.

She was falling behind not because she couldn't handle the class, but because her teacher unconsciously prevented her from getting needed information.

"I don't remember if there was any other girls in the class, but the teacher would often ask me to hand the handouts," she said.

"Because of that I kept missing verbal instructions, so much that I fell behind and I had to drop that class. And so that was my introduction to computers, which was not a great way to start."

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Years later, she is the past president of Engineers Geoscientists Manitoba, which has a new goal: Double the number of newly licensed female engineers, currently at 15 per cent of graduates, to 30 per cent by 2030.

Initial research done by the association suggests girls and women are nudged away from considering a career in engineering, with obstacles ranging from systemic and intentional to subtle and suggestive, said Melvin.

"Parents, guidance counsellors, teachers, media, could be university engineering faculty, employers — there's quite a few" reasons why women don't consider a career in engineering, she said.

Sometimes, it's as simple as not knowing engineering is an option, she said.

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The professional organization has started an awareness campaign with the slogan "Engineering Changes Lives" in an effort to change minds, Melvin said.

The group has earmarked $800,000 for the initiative, she said.

Melvin decided to head into engineering due to her interest in math and her desire to make significant change in her community.

"I think some of my biggest accomplishments in the workplace specifically have been when I've been able to take my technical work, whether it's analysis or simulation modelling, and package that work and that analysis and help people who are making really big, important decisions make those decisions."

Engineers Geoscientists Manitoba is having an event Monday in the Golden Boy Room at the Manitoba Legislative Building at 2 p.m., to "share the insights on the unconscious habits that steer girls away" from careers in engineering. The event will include a presentation by Engineers Geoscientists Manitoba president Jonathan Epp and a panel discussion.