Hydro One powers women in engineering

In 2012, Hydro One supported a consortium of four Ontario universities, including Ryerson, in an initiative to increase the enrolment of young women in engineering. The project encompassed outreach activities in schools, a variety of networking opportunities, and financial support.

Six years later, the company renewed its support of the Hydro One Women in Engineering (WiE) program to replicate the immense success of its initial project.

Since WiE’s inception, the number of women entering engineering degree programs at the four universities increased by 65%. From 2014 to 2016, the number of women in electrical engineering internships tripled. At Hydro One, the number of applications from women for New Grad positions rose by 256%. To date the partnership has supported close to 19,000 students across all four universities.

Hydro One, which is Ontario’s largest electricity transmission and distribution company, has helped transform the lives of students like Melisa Licenji (Electrical Engineering ’18). She joined the Women in Engineering student group at Toronto Metropolitan University in her first year.

“I moved to Canada from Albania when I was in grade 10,” she explains. “My brother was studying engineering already and, whenever he’d bring home his coding problems or circuit projects, I’d find it so interesting. Math and science were my strengths, so I couldn’t see myself doing anything else, but I was still a little apprehensive because engineering was seen as a job for men. WiE gave me a network of women engineers, introduced me to women leaders in the field, and helped build my confidence.”

In her second year, Licenji received a Hydro One Women in Engineering Award that came with a four-month internship at the company and an opportunity to get real-world experience. At the end of her internship, Hydro One left the door open for Licenji to return for a longer placement and she returned to the company in her third year for a 16-month co-op.

Hydro One’s funding helped bring together four universities that previously acted as competitors, and the cooperation has benefitted many aspiring engineers like Licenji. All this bodes well for more women who want to study engineering, says Nika Zolfaghari, manager of equity, diversity and inclusion with Ryerson’s Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science (FEAS). “By working together and sharing resources, we have been able amplify awareness, strengthen our programs and have a measurable impact across the province.”