Unlike other professions, engineering is not visible to the general public. Engineering works behind-the-scenes and yet has a direct impact on every aspect of daily life. Engineers ensure we have heat, light, shelter, transportation, entertainment, appliances, communication systems, medical technology, clean water and waste disposal.

Research and personal testimonies demonstrate that many young people, particularly girls, do not know what engineers do; they rarely observe engineers at work as they observe doctors, lawyers and teachers.

A change in the public perception of engineering could make it easier to attract women into the profession.

One woman engineer who visits schools said that students seem surprised at her simple definition of engineering.

Another engineer provides a different definition.

An ongoing, long-term public awareness campaign is needed to raise the profile of engineers in the eyes of the general public, and to portray engineering as a career option for women. Such a campaign should include: an annual engineering week; media promotions; special events such as award presentations and exhibitions of engineering accomplishments; contests, posters and videos; and open houses at engineering workplaces and schools. Both male and female engineers should play prominent roles in all promotional activities. The public awareness campaign must be coordinated with local activities of provincial and territorial associations of professional engineers. Individual engineers can support the campaign by participating in community and school activities.

To raise the profile of women engineers, associations should encourage women members to speak at faculty of engineering events, business club meetings, parent-teacher nights, and professional development seminars for teachers and guidance counselors. A list of successful professional women in various disciplines should be compiled and distributed by associations.

Every advantage should be taken in professional publications and association newsletters to feature articles which highlight the role of women in various engineering disciplines. Awards committees should seek women nominees for awards so that their achievements can be recognized. At least one woman should participate on each award committee.

This woman engineer did not consider a career in engineering until she was in Grade 12. Clearly, the engineering profession needs to raise awareness of engineering careers in young people. That means defining engineering in terms that young people understand and creating an understanding that mathematics and science relate to everyday life and are the basis of engineering.

A coordinated effort by everyone concerned with promoting engineering is needed. Associations of professional engineers should cooperate with other organizations such as Women in Science and Engineering; the Society of Canadian Women in Science and Technology; Canadian Association of Women in Science; Women in Scholarship, Engineering, Science and Technology; and the Northern Telecom-NSERC Women in Engineering Chair, as well as technical associations.

Co-operation will result in a sharing of resources such as videos, promotional materials, role models, and ideas. Duplication will be avoided and gaps in program delivery will be bridged. A central library for videos and other promotional materials could be created in each province.

Above all, a coordinated effort means that male and female students will hear consistent messages. There are many cultural influences that channel girls and young women away from science, mathematics and engineering (Chapters 1 to 6). To counteract those influences, school visit programs must send two messages: first, that engineering is a viable career for both women and men; and second, that engineers improve the quality of life.

School visits should be made on a regular basis and involve at least one woman engineer and engineering students whenever possible. Associations of professional engineers should work closely with deans of engineering and engineering undergraduate societies to encourage the participation of engineering students in school visits. Associations should also encourage employers of engineers to become involved in programs to attract and endorse engineering as a career for women, to support the participation of women engineers in school visit programs, and to promote engineering careers by holding open houses, sponsoring work/study field trips, and developing work-experience programs for engineering students.

A regular annual school visit campaign will ensure frequency of contact with school children. Presentations to classes and at career days can be followed up by field trips to engineering workplaces and consulting engineering offices. Through field trips to industrial sites and universities, young people will gain first-hand exposure to engineering activities. The helping aspect of the profession can be demonstrated in visits to sites like hospitals that employ biomedical engineers, or water treatment plants where civil engineers work.

To determine whether the presentations and field trips change student attitudes towards engineering as a career, associations should conduct surveys before and after school presentations and field trips.

Several associations have launched school visit programs in co-operation with government agencies, faculties of engineering and women in science and engineering organizations. Most associations have career counseling or student liaison committees that co-ordinate visits of members to schools in their provinces. Some help faculties of engineering work to retain students by sponsoring mentorship programs and speakers' series (Appendix C).

As a major source of information on the engineering profession, associations should ensure that provincial departments of education, teachers and guidance counselors have up-to-date information on careers in engineering. Messages concerning the increasing participation of women in non-traditional roles can be relayed through presentations by engineers to parent-teacher meetings.

If they have not already done so, associations of professional engineers should establish a role model registry in conjunction with their school visit program. The registry should list men and women engineers and ElTs, and contain biographical information. These role models could then be asked to visit area schools, mentor engineering students and engineers-in-training, and act as mathematics and science advisors in the classroom. To ensure the registry is used . effectively, it should be distributed to school districts, teachers' and guidance counselors' professional associations, and home and school groups.

To ensure a positive impact on young people, presenters must be well-prepared and provide an interesting message. Above all, school children must hear consistent messages about the role of women in engineering. Associations should prepare role models to make gender-sensitive presentations and to relate engineering work to everyday life and the well-being of society. Presentations on engineering careers should include a definition of engineering, and descriptions of the different disciplines and fields of engineering. The relationship of mathematics and science to engineering must be stressed, particularly at the junior high school level.

Associations should develop and use role model resource packages to facilitate presentations. A resource package containing audio-visual aids and literature could also be used by guidance counselors and teachers. All material must use gender-inclusive language and portray women engineers in active roles. A variety of resource material is already available (Appendix C).

• Development of the national campaign by 1993.
• Distribution of information about engineering careers to all elementary and secondary educators by 1993.
• At least one woman on awards committees by 1993.

• School visit strategy and plan by 1993.
• Registries, resources packages and gender-sensitive training program for role models by 1993.