By Olivia McDonald

Future Female Engineers

Oct 20, 2018 | 12:38 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – The Bentley Centre at UNBC was filled with intelligent minds on Saturday morning.

“Go Eng Girls,” is a national event that is held at 26 different locations across Canada. The purpose of the event is to introduce young women to the idea of being engineers. Being an Engineer is one of those professions in science where there are not as many women as men. 

According to Engineers Canada, less than 13 per cent of practising licensed engineers are women, at UNBC it’s a little different. On campus, there are 118 engineer students and 55 of them are women. 

“I don’t know if you remember, there was a period where Mattel had Barbie saying women can’t do math, women are really good at math and there is a lot of math in engineering so you’d think this would be a profession that would attract women but historically it just doesn’t.” Todd Whitcombe, the chair of UNBC’s Environmental Engineering Program adds. “People are trying to encourage young women to engage in the discipline.” 

Whitcombe says UNBC’s engineering program is a little unusual with their high number of females but they are always encouraging more girls to join.  

CANADA WEST

Timberwolves' basketball teams fall to UBC Okanagan Heat

1h ago

BCHL ACTION

Spruce Kings fall in OT to visiting Grizzlies; rematch slated for Saturday

2h ago

WHL ACTION

Ziemmer nets three goals, Cougars double hometown Blazers

3h ago