Toronto, Ontario – A recent LinkedIn post made by Penny Wise, president and managing director at 3M, celebrated the success of a panel discussion aiming to tackle the conversation of women in STEM roles.
The panel, which was held at the Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), featured academic and business leaders such as: Emily Agard, Ph.D, director of SciXchange; Imogen R. Coe, Ph.D, scientist and founding dean of the faculty of science at TMU; Karla Avis-Birch Roxana, chief planning officer at Metrolinx; and Sühring Alice Thomas, BSc, MBA, assistant professor at MTU.
According to the LinkedIn post, the starting point for discussions was the fact that while 47 percent of the Canadian workforce is made up of women, only 25 percent of STEM roles are filled by women.
Wise noted that “getting full representation and engagement of women is necessary for Canada’s future growth and innovation.”
The panel specifically discussed what it takes to change the numbers, how to make environments inviting for women and the role that men can play in helping to build for the future.
When it comes to the automotive industry specifically, organizations are also looking for ways to promote women. Notably, the Women’s Industry Network (WIN) recently announced that it has also launched its annual campaign aimed at supporting, attracting, retaining and advancing women within the collision repair industry.
