OSPE - The Voice - Winter 2021 - 59

RESEARCH
OSPE Receives Funding for Research
Projects and Supports for Underrepresented
Groups and Women in Engineering
O
SPE has been successful in being approved for
funding by various agencies for several exciting
initiatives. While these projects are in the initial
stages of development and do not have findings yet,
OSPE members can look forward to updates and
reports as we delve into these topics impacting the engineering
profession.
Leveraging Public Sector Procurement
Policies to Expand Opportunities for
Women in Engineering
Funded by: Women and Gender Equality Canada
This 30-month project will support a feminist response and
recovery from the current impacts of COVID-19 through systemic
change. OSPE will achieve this by developing and promoting
inclusive language for public sector procurement of engineering
services, thereby fundamentally expanding career opportunities
for diverse women in engineering and the attractiveness of an
engineering career to young women. It will compile and analyze
procurement policies and practices, develop model language
for inclusion in procurement policies for engineering services,
obtain endorsement and support from key stakeholders, advocate
to municipal and provincial public sector entities to urge adoption
of inclusive criteria in procurement for engineering services,
advocate to industry associations, and promote the model
language through social media and trade publications.
At the end of the project, OSPE will have contributed to
addressing systemic barriers by advancing inclusive policies
and practices, supporting positive distribution of resources,
developing networks and collaborations and changing norms and
attitudes to support women's equality.
New Barriers in Engineering and
Technology Jobs: The Uneven Impact of
Working-at-Home on Recent Graduates,
Women and Newcomers
Funded by: Future Skills Centre
This project will study the impact of working-from-home on new
graduates, women, and newcomers to Canada in engineering
and technology jobs. A significant increase in working remotely
is one of the long-term effects of COVID-19. Without strategies
to counter the negative effects of markedly reduced interaction
with team leaders and other team members, firms will limit
their hiring. The project will document the nature and extent
of the new challenges and identify new best practices to share
with employers, workers, post-secondary institutions, and
governments.
OSPE will bring the results of this research to three key
audiences:
1.
2.
3.
University and college engineering faculties so that they can
incorporate remote teamworking into their curriculum;
Engineering managers and employers so that they better
understand the impact of remote teamworking on women,
newcomers and recent graduates, and
Engineering human resources managers so that they can
encourage the adoption of new staff development strategies
that reflect the increased of working-from-home.
A key component of knowledge mobilization is to convey
findings from the research so that municipal, provincial, and
federal governments can better understand the labour market and
economic impact the pandemic and changing work habits have
had on new graduates, women, and newcomers in engineering
and technology. Governments will need this data to help shape
recommendations and policies.
Stay tuned in 2022 for future updates on the progress of these
projects.
At the end of the project, OSPE will have
contributed to addressing systemic barriers
by advancing inclusive policies and
practices, supporting positive distribution
of resources, developing networks and
collaborations and changing norms and
attitudes to support women's equality.
December 2021 THE VOICE
59
OSPE - The Voice - Winter 2021

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