Resources

News
- Collection of news and information from WinSETT. Also find links to social media channels.
Publications
- WinSETT Leadership Letters, WinSETT Centre Annual Reports plus an archive of reports, articles and presentations previously published by the WinSETT Centre.
Research and Best Practices
- Reports, papers and sources represent a selection of recent research into the factors that affect recruitment, retention and advancement of SETT women.
- Resources that cover effective practices to increase the numbers, career success and leadership of women in these fields.
Statistics
- Statistical references related to the participation of women in science, engineering, trades and technology students and professionals throughout Canada.
WinSETT Knowledge Base
- Searchable database. Under development.

Research and Best Practices

Stemming the Tide: Why Women Leave Engineering – This 2011 paper by Fouad and Singh documented results of surveys of 3700 US female engineers, summarizing the reasons women leave, and stay, in engineering careers.
What’s So Special about STEM? A Comparison of Women’s Retention in STEM and Professional Occupations – A 2013 paper by Glass et al. comparing the trajectories of women in STEM-related occupations to other professional occupations showed that women in STEM occupations are significantly more likely to leave their occupational field than professional women, especially early in their career.
Climbing the Technical Ladder Solutions to Recruit Technical Women; Women Technologists Count; Recommendations and Best Practices to Retain Women in Computing – The Anita Borg Institute produced several reports in 2013, documenting factors affecting career success and advancement, along with promising practices to recruit and retain women in computing.
Women Rising: The Unseen Barriers – This 2013 Harvard Business Review article by Ibarra et al. examines the slow progress of women into leadership roles and proposes actions to support women’s access to leadership positions – educating women and men about second-generation gender bias, creating safe “identity workspaces” to support transitions to bigger roles, and anchoring women’s development efforts in a sense of leadership purpose.
Women in Leadership: Perceptions and Priorities for Change – This 2013 Conference Board of Canada document looks at how perceptions have and have not changed, and how organizations can best enable top female talent to reach senior management positions.
Pipeline’s Broken Promise – This 2010 Catalyst report found that among recent MBA graduates, women lag men in advancement and compensation from their very first professional jobs and are less satisfied with their careers overall.
Exploring the Career Pipeline: Gender Differences in Pre-Career Expectations – Female university graduates expect to make a lot less money than their male counterparts [12.5% less in initial job for science and engineering grads], according to a study of 23,000 Canadian university students reported in 2011 by Schweitzer Lyons, and Ng.
Mining for Diversity: An Employer’s Guide to Attract, Recruit and Retain a Diverse Workforce – The Mining Industry Human Resources Council’s 2008 report summarizes industry practices and tools for attracting, recruiting, and retaining talent from diverse target groups. In these pages, you will find a specific focus on women, new Canadians, youth, mature workers, and workers from other industries.
The Pathway Forward: Creating Gender Inclusive Leadership in Mining and Resources – In 2012, the Centre for Women in Politics and Public Leadership at Carleton University examined the literature and interviewed participants in the sector to identify barriers and suggest a holistic approach in applying strategies for success.
High-Potential Employees in the Pipeline: Maximizing the Talent Pool in Canadian Organizations – This 2013 Catalyst report examines factors that influence career success of men and women in Canadian organizations and how to retain top talent.
Athena 2.0: Accelerating Female Talent in Science, Engineering and Technology – In this 2014 report Hewlett et al. revisit the SET landscape to determine what has changed for women for the better (since their 2008 report below), and to offer solutions for what has resisted change.
Off-Ramps and On-Ramps: Keeping Talented Women on the Road to Success – This oft-cited 2005 study reports on the extent of the problem of possible attrition–what percentage of highly qualified women leave work and for how long, what obstacles they face coming back, and what price they pay for their time-outs. Off-Ramps and On-Ramps provides a proven road map to help companies stop the female brain drain, and to help women achieve their full potential with rewarding and balanced lives.
The Athena Factor: Reversing the Brain Drain in Science, Engineering, and Technology – Forty-one percent of highly qualified scientists, engineers, and technologists on the lower rungs of corporate career ladders are female. But more than half (52%) drop out. It found 5 powerful “antigens” in corporate cultures. This important 2008 study features company initiatives that address this female brain drain.
Going the Distance – Best Practices and Strategies for Retaining Engineering, Engineering Technology and Computing Students – This 2013 American Society for Engineering Education report describes and summarizes effective practices from 60 US universities and colleges to retain students in technical programs.
How to Recruit Women and Girls to the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Classroom – Donna Milgram describes strategies for high school and post-secondary educators in this 2011 paper.
Moving Forward Together – Report of the CCWESTT Policy Forum – This report summarizes the 2012 Policy Forum co-organized by CCWESTT and Status of Women Canada. The focus of the forum was on the experiences of women engaged in SETT fields and on the policies, programs and practices affecting their participation. Its goal was to inspire a partnership approach to increasing the participation of women in SETT, by moving forward together, from insight to action.
On the Level: Women Working in Trades and Technology; Women in the Aerospace Industry – Employer’s guides to creating respectful workplaces – The Hypatia Association produced two guides in 2009 to support employers seeking to hire diverse women in trades and technology. They present field-tested approaches to the creation and sustainability of welcoming, safe and respectful workplaces.
In the Picture…a future with women in science, trades and technology – The Hypatia Association produced three guides in 2004 for NS employers and they include research summaries, findings from focus groups and action oriented strategies for change.
The State of Women in Construction – Despite successful initiatives to increase the numbers of women in the construction industry, the rate of their participation, particularly in the trades and onsite construction management, has not grown significantly over time. This 2010 study examines the barriers, as well as good practices that could be implemented to overcome them.
SWE Literature Reviews – Each year, the Society of Women Engineers publishes an annual review of social science and related literature. Contributing both a bibliography and authoritative analysis to the body of knowledge concerning women in engineering, and more generally, the STEM professions, these reviews offer a single source from which to view the most significant findings and insight into research trends.
WEPAN Knowledge Center – Women in Engineering Proactive Network hosts a free on-line centre that provides access to searchable, catalogued and fully cited information resources including research reports, data and statistics, papers, bibliographies, best practices, key programs, conference proceedings, webinars and more.
Becoming Leaders: A Practical Handbook for Women in Engineering, Science and Technology – This international best-seller presents important information, tips and strategies to support career success and leadership development in technical women. Professionals and university students alike will benefit from the advice based on the first-hand experiences of women engineers and scientists.
Gender Diversity 101 Brochures – These brochures were researched and created by Westcoast Women in Engineering, Science and Technology (WWEST), and published from 2013 to 2015. The WinSETT Centre has co-branded with WWEST to share them.
1. The Business Case
2. Executive Summary
3. Gendered Language & Stereotype Awareness for Hiring Committees (wide print)
4. Gendered Language & Stereotype Awareness for Hiring Committees
5. Mentoring Works (wide print)
6. Mentoring Works
7. Microaggressions
8. Social Identity Threat in the Workplace
9. Stereotype Threat
10. Unconscious Bias
11. Understanding Workplace Diversity for Managers (wide print)
12. Understanding Workplace Diversity for Managers
13. What is Engineering
14. Why STEM for Parents and Guardians (wide print)
15. Why STEM for Parents and Guardians

Gender Diversity in STEM – WESTT’s Rebekah Parker, Jennifer Pelletier and Elizabeth Croft published a new book in December 2015: Gender Diversity in STEM – A briefing on women in science and engineering. This book responds to common questions, topics, and misconceptions with factual, cited answers and evidence. Each topic is succinct, covered in an at-a-glance visual format. These chapters are accompanied by commentaries from industry leaders and academic experts. Topics range from unconscious bias, the business case for women in STEM, mentoring to gender diversity for managers.
Evaluation of Phase III WinSETT Initiative – This 2008 report summarizes and evaluates the objectives and outcomes of WinSETT’s Phase III activities.
Inspiring Women – Outcomes of the WinSETT Leadership Program – WinSETT Presentation at CCWESTT National Conference, Regina, 2014.

Statistics

(2010) Women in Science and Engineering in Canada – Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada 2010 Report contains statistics, literature compilation and initiative summaries
Women in Apprenticeships 2013
Women in the SETT Workforce and Society 2016
CAUT Almanac (2014-2015) – Documents the most current statistics on post-secondary education in Canada (students, faculty, universities, colleges, some data by gender)
Percent Women in Canadian Work Force 1996, 2006, 2011
Women in Canada 2010-2011: A Gender-based Statistical Report, 6th edition, Statistics Canada, 2012; Statistical Highlights
Women in Engineering in Canadian Universities (2014)
Women in the 2011 SETT Workforce Chart (National Household Survey) with 1996 and 2006 Census comparisons
Women Students in Post-Secondary Institutions

Publications

WinSETT Leadership Letter

WinSETT Centre Annual Report

2017
2018
2019
2021

Individual Reports, Articles and Presentations

Reflections on the 10th Anniversary of WinSETT, March 9, 2019 (2019)
Increasing Women in SETT: The Business Case Brochure (2017) – This brochure summarizes the Business Case Research Page. English version; French version.
Increasing Women in SETT: The Business Case Research Paper (2016) – This research document reviews the recent literature and is illustrated with statistics from various sectors to present the economic benefits of women’s enhanced participation in SETT fields. English version ; French 2005 version.
Inspiring Women Leaders: Outcomes of the WinSETT Centre’s Women in SETT Leadership Program (2014) – The “Inspiring Women Leaders: Outcomes of the WinSETT Centre’s Women in SETT Leadership Program” report summarizes the business case for increasing the participation and leadership of women in SETT, illustrates aspects of the status of women in SETT in Canada, and highlights the issues around their retention and advancement. It then focuses on the themes, content and outcomes of 54 deliveries of four modules of the Leadership Program to participants in industry, post-secondary institutions and professional associations across Canada. The report concludes with recommendations for the future development of the Leadership Program.
WinSETT Centre featured in “NOIA News” (2013) – The WinSETT Centre was featured “NOIA News” which is the primary industry publication of the Newfoundland & Labrador Oil and Gas Industries Association. The issue was focused on diversity and inclusion topics.
Retention and Advancement of Women in STEM (2013) – This summary and slide deck summarize a presentation at the Gender Summit 3, Washington DC, Nov. 13-15, 2013.
A Checklist of Strategies – Welcoming Women into Trades and Technology Workplaces (2012) – Slide presentation at the 2012 CCWESTT National Conference, Halifax
“Checklist of Strategies” – Welcoming Women into Science, Engineering, Trades and Technology Workplaces: A Checklist of Strategies prepared by Carolyn J. Emerson and Valerie Overend for the WinSETT Centre.
Advancing Women’s Leadership in SETT Fields (2012) – Slide presentation at the 2012 CCWESTT National Conference, Halifax
Putting Fuel in the Tank – Best Practices in Promoting Diversity and Innovation (2011) – Slide presentation at the 2011 Fueling the Future: Women in Oil and Gas International Conference, St. John’s
Final Partnership Project Report to the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum (2011) – In 2011, through CCWESTT, WinSETT partnered with the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum in the delivery of workshops to engage employers and employment consultants from Georgian College about the value of hiring and retaining female apprenticeships. Final report here.
Developing Women’s Leadership to Increase Recruitment and Retention in the Oil and Gas Sector (2011) – Slide presentation at the 2011 Fueling the Future: Women in Oil and Gas International Conference, St. John’s
Project Catalyst – Increasing Women in Science Faculties (2008) – This 2008 CCWESTT Conference paper describes Project Catalyst which provides resources to hiring, promotion and tenure committees and deans to increase the recruitment, retention and advancement of women faculty in science departments at Canadian universities.

Citations – Resources cited in publications released prior August 13, 2021 when the website was relocated.