Current Initiatives

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Past Initiatives

WinSETT works with partners, sponsors and other supporters in developing and delivering major programs as well as other projects and initiatives. Described here are our projects related to women and employers in the oil, gas, and mining sectors, advancing workplace change in engineering, and supportive workplaces for tradeswomen. WinSETT Board members also serve as advisors on other external organizations and initiatives and are invited conference presenters and contributors to articles.

2019 – 2021 Enhancing the Women in SETT Leadership Program in Newfoundland and Labrador
This 31-month research project is funded by the NL Workplace Innovation Centre (NLWIC) at College of the North Atlantic (CNA) through the Department of Immigration, Population Growth and Skills (IPGS) under the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Labour Market Development Agreement. This research project addressed two areas of the Leadership Program to enhance the delivery to participants in Newfoundland and Labrador – in turn this will improve the overall accessibility and delivery of the program. The two areas were to evaluate the impact of the WinSETT Leadership Program (in NL), conduct environmental scans, transition WinSETT Special Topics to Online Skill Builders, upgrade the in-person WinSETT workshops and update the WinSETT Website. 

2017 – 2022: Engendering Success in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)
Implicit gender bias is learned in early childhood, and shapes what boys and girls think they can do. Such biases can affect how women are treated by others and undermine their efficacy. Social science research has shown that there are methods to counteract such biases. Success in STEM is a multi-year (2017-2022) partnership. A social science research team will design and test the long-term efficacy of interventions that harness the power of positive social interactions to mitigate subtle gender bias. WinSETT Centre will assist with the development and implementation of interventions. The project is funded by SSHRC and supported by partner in-kind contributions.

2017 – 2020: Improving Workplace Culture in Alberta SETT Companies by decreasing Implicit Bias and Stereotype Threat
This three-year project was developed by WinSETT Centre to address the issue of unsupportive workplace cultures contributing to low levels of retention and advancement of women in science, engineering, trades and technology careers. Each workplace culture will be assessed through the insights of male and female employers and employees, and review of formal policies. The research will identify formal and informal elements of the workplace culture that are unsupportive. WinSETT will capture the process and impact of change strategies, and share the results with other organizations. The project is funded by Status of Women Canada Western Region with in-kind contributions from participating companies and not-for-profit organizations. Click for final report.

2013 – 2016: Fueling the Future – Retaining and Advancing Women Scientists and Engineers in the Oil and Gas Sector in Alberta
This three-year project funded by Status of Women Canada in Alberta addressed the attrition of women from careers in science, engineering, trades and technology industries in Alberta. Networking forums, workshops and special topic presentations were held in Calgary, Fort Saskatchewan and Edmonton. An assessment tool was adapted to enable employers to measure employment outcomes of women over time. Click for final report.

2013 – 2014: Diversity Awareness and Career Development in the BC Mining Sector
The Canadian mining industry was interested in finding ways to attract and retain women. The BC Mining Human Resources Task Force engaged WinSETT Centre to develop a diversity awareness workshop. It was presented to employers in the mining sector at the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM) Annual Conference in Vancouver in 2014. WinSETT customized and delivered Becoming Leaders, a professional career development workshop, to women in the mining industry. Click for final report.

2012 – 2016: Engendering Engineering Success (EES)
Engendering Engineering Success (EES) aimed to identify which organizational policies best predicted an inclusive and supportive workplace culture for both men and women. Researchers at Universities of Alberta and British Columbia recruited individuals and organizations to participate in a pair of cutting edge studies. WinSETT Centre participated in the development and evaluation of research findings in 2015-2016; and co-branded and distributed Gender Diversity 101 flyers in partnership with Western Women in Engineering, Science and Technology (WWEST). Funded by SSHRC and supported by partner in-kind contributions.

2012 – 2014: Gender Diversity and Inclusion (GDI) – WinSETT/WorleyParsons Partnership
From 2012 to 2014, the Edmonton office of WorleyParsons partnered with WinSETT Centre and researchers from the School of Business at the University of Alberta in their GDI project. WinSETT delivered leadership modules to three cohorts of their early to mid-career female employees. WorleyParsons supported the development of a new module on navigating workplace politics. WinSETT Centre delivered GDI Awareness modules to executives, department heads and mid-level managers. The results of the workshop deliveries informed the research component of the joint initiative.

2003 – 2004: The Beginnings of the WinSETT Centre
Starting in 2003, Phase I activities involved holding three regional consultations with women in SETT sectors. The findings and recommendations from these sessions were then brought to a National Forum, Leaders Meeting and a National Roundtable in 2004. Featured reports are:

• Final Report Phase I describes the participation in and outcomes and recommendations of the three regional consultations and two national meetings in 2003-2004.
• Opening Remarks by Dr. Dr. Arthur Carty, then Canada’s National Science Advisor, at the Spotlight on Women in Science, Technology and Trades Roundtable. WinSETT was an organizer and featured presenter.