10 years ahead of Engineers Canada's goal of "30 in 30"

Polytechnique Montréal - where 30.2% of graduates are women

MONTRÉAL, April 29, 2021 /CNW Telbec/ - Polytechnique Montréal has just passed an important milestone - for the first time in its history, 30.2% of undergraduate engineering graduates are women (2020).

While Québec and Canadian female engineer graduation averages hover around 21%, this breakthrough demonstrates that the national goal of increasing the rate of newly licensed women engineers to 30% by 2030 is indeed very achievable.

While women currently account for 15.3% of practicing engineers in Québec, and women represent 14% of engineers in Canada.

Engineers Canada, the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec, and many other notable organizations esteem that the 30% target is a first milestone to be reached in order to bring about a genuine paradigm shift, and contribute to the fundamental transformation of the profession's character.

Exceeding the 30% mark for women graduates is an important milestone for Polytechnique, and is the result of sustained efforts. For over 20 years, Polytechnique has multiplied awareness-raising initiatives in collaboration with stakeholders in the field, governments, and generous donors (companies, foundations, graduates, and friends of Polytechnique). These initiatives translate into science awareness-raising activities in classrooms, as well as science camps, mentoring programs, contests, workshops, lectures, scholarships, and profiles that highlight inspiring women role models actively achieving in careers in technology.

There are numerous elements to the achievement of this objective, including but not limited to an increase in the hiring of female professors, the creation of new programs (such as the bachelor's degree in biomedical engineering), and the increasingly widespread adoption across all programs of a sustainable engineering approach - a approach which resonates with women, where they feel they'll be able to acquire key skills to meet modern challenges.

"We believe it's essential for women to take their rightful place in engineering to contribute to the development and deployment of sustainable solutions to meet the challenges of our time. If a lack of female role models can explain this representation gap, the growing number of women graduates will help attract more young women to this career path," notes Philippe A. Tanguy, President of Polytechnique Montréal.  

"Congratulations to the students, faculty, and staff of Polytechnique Montréal on this historic achievement. Post-secondary institutions play an integral role in improving diversity, equity, and inclusion in engineering and helping us achieve "30 by 30". We're encouraged by Polytechnique's impact in advancing gender equity and we are keen to learn from their example", says Jean Boudreau, President, Engineers Canada.

"To fully serve the common good, engineering must rely on all available talent. Increased women's representation within the profession is essential to achieve this. As a partner of the 30 in 30 Initiative, the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec congratulates Polytechnique Montréal in reaching this important milestone in engineering's journey towards a more diversified and inclusive profession," declares Kathy Baig, Polytechnique Montréal graduate and Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec President. 

SEE OFFICIAL REACTIONS

• Danielle McCann, Québec Minister of Higher Education
• Isabelle Charest, Québec Minister for Education and Minister Responsible for the Status of Women
• Dominique Anglade, Polytechnique Montréal graduate and leader of the provincial official opposition
• Valérie Plante, Mayor of the City of Montreal
• Pierre Arcand, Member of Parliament for Mont-Royal – Outremont
• Rachel Bendayan, Member of Parliament for Outremont
• Déborah Cherenfant, President - Young Chamber of Commerce of Montreal

About Polytechnique Montreal

Established in 1873, Polytechnique Montréal is one of Canada's largest engineering education and research universities, and is located on the Université de Montréal campus - North America's largest Francophone university campus. With over 52,800 graduates and over 120 academic programs, Polytechnique has trained 22% of the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec (OIQ)'s current membership. Polytechnique Montréal is also distinguished by its 285 talented professors, more than 9,000 students, and overall annual budget of $260 million, and close to $100 million is reserved exclusively for research.

INTERVIEWS

• Philippe A. Tanguy, President of Polytechnique Montréal
• Meredith Alousi-Jones, Master's student in Civil Engineering at Polytechnique, Executive VP of the Poly-Fi student committee, earned her Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Polytechnique

CLIP AND TESTIMONIALS: Video clip wherein members of the Polytechnique community discuss this achievement and the place of women in engineering.

COMPARATIVE STATISTICS AND TRENDS:  Women and Engineering website

SOURCE Polytechnique Montréal

Information and interview requests: Annie Touchette, Communications and Public Relations Service, Polytechnique Montréal, 514 231-8133, [email protected]