WEET Program Electrifies at Awards Show of National Not-for-Profit

Algonquin College’s Women Into Electrical Engineering Technology program takes home the inaugural top prize for the Innovation in HR Practices/Educational category from Electricity Human Resources Canada (EHRC).

It’s like all of a sudden, the lights came on – here’s a bold new way to get women into the electrical trades.

A two-year intensive program launched this year by Algonquin College which connects women with degrees with hands-on training and an internship in the electrical industry has received the inaugural top prize for Innovation in the HR Practices/Educational category from the Electricity Human Resources Canada (EHRC).

“The WEET program helps to meet a shortage in the electrical skilled trades industry by creating educational pathways to not only encourage women to seek employment in the electrical trades, but to give them the hands-on skills that they need to succeed,” explains Denyce Diakun, Director, Workforce and Personal Development at Algonquin College. “As the Construction Sector Council noted in their 2010 report, the State of Women in Construction in Canada, efforts to boost the participation of women in construction careers depend on effective career and educational pathways. At Algonquin College, we have connected women seeking a new career opportunity with the chance to try something they would not have considered before, and our economy benefits as a result.”

“This award is presented to an educational institution for its continued commitment to leadership excellence,” according to EHRC’s award criteria. “Above all, they have put in place curriculum dedicated for training that addresses workforce supply needs in the electricity industry.”

22 women enrolled in the first ever offering of the WEET program this year, while the traditional Electrical Engineering Technology three-year program typically attracts fewer than 10 women per year at Algonquin College.

The WEET program was made possible through the support of the Leacross Foundation and Hydro One.