Though gender representation has yet to reach 50% in engineering fields, many companies have increasing numbers of women in engineering positions in recent years.  In the US and Canada, approximately women make up 10% to 15% of all licensed engineers.

Research by Project RISE suggests that leaders in STEM fields (still overwhelmingly male) are trying to be inclusive leaders and support the women that report to them and work with them.  In fact, when male engineering leaders were surveyed, 80% said that they believed themselves to be good allies to the women in their organizations.  However, when the women from those same companies were also surveyed, only ~20% of them said that they felt adequately included or supported.  So, there is a gap between the intention and the effective execution of allyship toward women in engineering and STEM fields by engineering managers and leaders.

This session will focus on helping participants:

• Understand the 'allyship gap' that interrupts the best of intentions of engineering managers
• Recognize the root causes of that gap, which leaves women in engineering workplaces contributing below their true potential
• Learn practical and evidence-based tips for engineering managers, project managers and leaders on how to close the allyship gap in their workplace
• Create respectful company environments where everyone's performance is maximized