Transcript PowerPoint Presentation File

Bridging the Gap Research Project
EHRC Conference – November 6, 2013
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Project Overview
• Bridging the Gap
– Women represent only one quarter of the electricity and
renewable energy workforce
– Need to increase the attraction, recruitment, and retention of
women as skilled workers to the electricity and renewable
energy sector
– Need to develop best practice models that can be used to
support the industry in developing successful relationships
that will positively impact the representation of women in the
sector
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Project Activities
• Secondary Research
– Identification of existing programs/initiatives both within and
beyond the sector to support the attraction, recruitment and
retention of women
• Primary Research
– Key Informant Interviews (54 in total)
– Online Surveys (3)
• Case Study Development
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Primary Research
• Three Key Stakeholder Groups
– Women currently working within the industry
– Women seeking entry into the industry (e.g., students,
apprentices, women seeking career changes,
unemployed/under-employed women)
– Employers, organizations, unions, associations, educational
institutions with existing programs to support the attraction,
recruitment and retention of women
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Preliminary Research Findings
• Online surveys recently closed
• Detailed analysis of all research findings is required
• Preliminary findings and trends can be discussed at a
high-level
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Women Working within the Industry
• Women of varying:
– Ages
– Years of experience
– Occupational roles (e.g., engineering, trades, technology,
finances, administrative)
• Participation through:
– Online survey
– Key informant interviews (KIIs)
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Women Working within the Industry
• Why the electrical industry?
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Compensation and benefits
Familial influence (parents, siblings, etc.) in industry
Like the outdoors; working with hands
Love of math and sciences
Challenging and innovative industry
Portable skills
Stable employment
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Women Working within the Industry
• Barriers/challenges faced
Lack of mentoring/sponsorship
Work/life balance (e.g., overtime, shifts, etc.)
Male-dominated culture
Gender stereotypes and stigmas
Challenges with advancement
Lack of female representation in middle- and upper-level
management roles
– Have to work harder to be taken seriously and have voice
heard
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Women Working within the Industry
• Perceived retention factors
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Job satisfaction
Compensation, pension, benefits
Job security
Opportunities to learn and grow professionally
Hard-earned success
Challenging and rewarding career
Opportunity to make a difference
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Women Working within the Industry
• What can Employers do?
– Have more women in senior roles and leadership positions
– Increase awareness (e.g., high schools, communities,
universities/colleges, etc.)
– Work to remove the ‘old boys club’ mentality
– Provide mentoring and flexibility/supports
– Reflect on the realities of female workers within
organizations and act accordingly (e.g., identify systemic
issues and resolve)
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Women Seeking Employment
• Women from various pathways:
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Secondary school students
University/College students
Apprentices
Women seeking career changes
Unemployed/under-employed women
• Participation from:
– Online survey
– Key informant interviews (KIIs)
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Women Seeking Employment
• Occupations/Professions of interest
– Majority of online survey participants and many KII
participants expressed interest in engineering profession
within renewable energy sector
– Number of interest indicated a desire to help the
environment, initiate/support green initiatives, conserve
resources and make positive change as factors
• Significantly less identification of trades as career
options – notion of ‘clean’ vs. ‘dirty’ jobs
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Women Seeking Employment
• Perceived challenges to getting into industry
– Limited training in renewable energy, which is where many
young female engineers want to work
– Not enough information/advertisement about careers while in
university/college
– Challenges getting work hours/apprenticeships to gain
employment in the sector
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Women Seeking Employment
• What can employers do to enhance recruitment?
– Enhance networking opportunities to gain better
understanding of sector and careers
– Promote careers more during schooling and training to
ensure proper learning path
– Educate community at large about possibilities (e.g., radio,
TV, multi-media, social media)
– Clearly outline expectations and requirements for positions
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Women Seeking Employment
• What can employers do to enhance retention?
– Implement flexible work models and other approaches to
support a work/life balance
– Educate all employees of benefit of having women in the
workplace to breakdown stereotypes
– Develop forums, meeting places, networking opportunities
for women to communicate and share ideas
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Employers/Associations/Educators
• Various types of stakeholders:
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Colleges/universities
Women’s advocacy groups
Professional associations
Unions/labour organizations
Charitable organizations
Sector/industry associations
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Employers/Associations/Educators
• What are the challenges/barriers to employment within
the sector?
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Pigeon-holing (e.g., start in admin., stay in admin.)
Perceptions of male-industry, male jobs
Lack of role-models, mentors and networks
Lack of knowledge of training paths and opportunities
Access to apprenticeships to get foot in the door
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Employers/Associations/Educators
• Successful approaches:
– Workplace preparedness (i.e., preparing women to work in
male-dominated settings and assisting to make informed
career choices)
– Assisting women to find appropriate training and
apprenticeship opportunities
– Providing financial support while women complete their
training
– Assisting women to seek employment following training
– Providing opportunities for mentoring and networking
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Employers/Associations/Educators
• Successful approaches cont’d:
– Providing skills assessments and upgrading (e.g., math,
science, physics)
– Introducing young women (in secondary school) about the
opportunities in trades/technology and other non-traditional
roles
– Programs that provide support for upwards of two years, to
assist with their employment journey
– Pre-apprenticeship programs to provide real experiences in
various settings
– Co-op programs
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Final Results
• Additional insights will be presented in the final
project report and case studies in the new year
• Findings from current research and the Alberta
phase will be incorporated
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