Stage
University
Key Obstacle
Social exclusion in professional networks
Goals
Integrate men and women to collaborate effectively and promote each other
Shaping inclusive network cultures
How can we ensure that young women have the mentoring support and inclusive networks they need to launch their careers successfully? Project SINC aims to increase integration of women in social networks as they transition from university to the workplace.
University
Social exclusion in professional networks
Integrate men and women to collaborate effectively and promote each other
Promotion and retention at work is tied to an employee’s integration in social networks and interactions with colleagues, but women in STEM often report subtle signs of exclusion in their interactions with others in male dominated fields. These experiences of exclusion make women especially aware of their gender and contribute to workplace burnout. Women’s exclusion from professional networks means that they often miss out on key opportunities to advance their careers.
SINC uses advanced methods to examine daily experiences and test interventions. One intervention is designed to increase belonging and reduce stress among identity-threatened students. A second intervention will use more equitable role assignments to increase positive interactions between men and women in the workplace. In partnership with the undergraduate engineering programs at the Universities of Toronto, McMaster, Waterloo, and British Columbia, social inclusion interventions will be implemented among engineering students while they go on summer internships and “co-op” placements in order to measure the efficacy of these programs for creating a sense of social support and mutual respect between students as they make the transition from university to the workplace.
Photo Credit: Engineering Science Quest
The Project SINC team combines expertise in the science of implicit gender bias, bias reduction, intergroup contact, diversity, and STEM outreach.
Project SINC proudly partners with University of Toronto, University of British Columbia, University of Waterloo, Simon Fraser University, Engineers Canada, the Engineering Change Lab, the Ontario Network for Women in Engineering (ONWiE), the Society for Canadian Women in Science and Technology (SCWIST), and the Network of NSERC Chairs for Women in Science and Engineering.
Sign up to our newsletter to stay updated about partnership opportunities and company news. We will include industry insights, advices and more.