Question Period Note: Gender Equality in STEM, Skilled Trades, and Key Economic Sectors

What policies and programming has the Government of Canada advanced to increase gender equality in the STEM and skilled trades fields?

• Canada is facing a shortage of skilled workers in the STEM and the skilled trades sectors. The Government supports increasing women’s participation in these fields to address these shortfalls.

• To support women in the skilled trades, Budget 2021 invested $470M through Employment and Social Development Canada to establish a new Apprenticeship Service to help 55,000 first-year apprentices in construction and manufacturing Red Seal trades connect with opportunities at small-and-medium-sized employers.

• To continue to support equality in STEM and the skilled trades, Budget 2022 included $84.2M over 4 years to double funding for the Union Training and Innovation Program, led by Employment and Social Development Canada to help underrepresented apprentices begin and succeed in skilled trade careers.

• Since November 2015, Women and Gender Equality Canada has invested $23.4M in projects to advance women’s participation in non-traditional professions in which they are underrepresented, including in STEM.

Investment

• Since November 2015, WAGE’s Women’s Program has invested $23.4M in support of projects to advance women’s participation in non-traditional professions in which they are underrepresented, including STEM.

Results

• At this time, WAGE does not have any outcome data on which to report, for projects funded in this area.

Project examples

• The Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC) of Canada Inc. received $999K to establish a network of business leader ambassadors to help organizations build capacity to leverage the leadership advantages of women and promote gender equality in management.

• The Canadian Coalition of Women in Engineering, Science, Trades and Technology (CCWESTT) received $697,897 to design and implement policies and practices which will increase the participation and opportunities for women in the labour market and engage men and boys to combat harmful gender norms and advance gender equality in Science, Engineering, Trades and Technology (SETT).

• The Society for Canadian Women in Science and Technology (SCWIST) received $698,080 to create a more equitable job access by connecting a diversity of women to the STEM industry’s needs, and focusing on accountability for equitable hiring, transparency metrics for participation, pay equity for work of equal value, and successful leadership advancement.

BACKGROUND:

• Despite significant increases in women’s levels of education and labour market participation, women continue to face barriers from reaching their full economic potential. Among these barriers are the effects of occupational segregation by gender.
o As a result, women are overrepresented in low-paying and part-time occupations and underrepresented in full-time, high-paying ones. Having more women participate in STEM and skilled trades will contribute to women’s economic security. More men working in education and health services and care work will also contribute towards achieving more gender parity.

• The skilled trades offer women opportunities for well paying, rewarding jobs in sectors across the economy. The Government, through Employment and Social Development Canada has invested in supporting more women to enter and succeed in the skilled trades by investing:
o $63.5M over 5 years for 68 projects as part of the Union Training and Innovation Program (UTIP) 2020 call for proposals.
o $40M over 3 years in the Union Training and Innovation Program. Budget 2022 doubled the investment in this program with an $84.2M commitment over 4 years.
o $19.9M over 5 years to pilot an Apprenticeship Incentive Grant for Women. Since its inception in 2018, over 9000 grants have been approved (as of March 6, 2022) .
o $10M over 3 years to launch the Women in Construction Fund. In 2019-20, 550 women were directly supported through Fund projects, and over 319,800 women were reached through a project promoting awareness of the skilled trades as a career choice1.

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