Evidence of meeting #51 for Status of Women in the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was young.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Susan Truppe Conservative London North Centre, ON
Thank you.
What was the percentage of women in the federal skilled worker program, if you know off the top of your head? If not—
Acting Director, Immigration Branch, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
Sorry, in the federal skilled worker program, did you ask the percentage of women coming through?
Conservative
Susan Truppe Conservative London North Centre, ON
Yes. I think I probably missed it, but if you don't have it off the top of your head, that's okay.
Acting Director, Immigration Branch, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
It's about one-third, according to Monsieur Dumas.
Conservative
Susan Truppe Conservative London North Centre, ON
Okay, great. Thank you.
My final question will be for Janet Walden.
I think you mentioned that the Council of Canadian Academies said it is difficult to progress if there aren't a lot of women, and we need to increase the pool. Have you any quick thoughts or suggestions for how we would increase that pool?
Chief Operating Officer, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
I think we've been having a conversation around that today in terms of it really being about getting young women interested in science before they make their final choices to stop taking math, or physics, or chemistry, at the end of high school. It's really about getting young women earlier in their careers, before they enter post-secondary education.
Conservative
Conservative
Tilly O'Neill-Gordon Conservative Miramichi, NB
My question is one I had from before, for Linda Savoie.
In your statement you mentioned that technology now has become such a big part of our workload out there, and that there are so many different trades now that women could be advised to enter. I'm wondering if you could give us an outline as to what trades you see out there now that women can really reach out to as a result of technology.
Senior Director General, Women's Program and Regional Operations Directorate, Status of Women Canada
We've been working, for instance, with the Information and Communications Technology Council, and some of the observations it has made are quite interesting.
The range of opportunities for women tends to be underestimated by the young women, who seem to zero in on these technologies in the more traditional perceptions, sometimes environments that they feel are not responding to their need or their desire to do something meaningful. So it's trying to reframe the conversations around technology.
We know there is a very large number of women, for instance, who are in the health sector. Technology plays a very, very important role in the health sector, so by reframing where technology actually has a role to play, it's trying to encourage the presence of more women and young women.
In terms of technology, it's very pervasive. It's everywhere. It's just reframing the perception so that people stop thinking of it in terms of a big computer, a dark room, and a bunch of people with glasses doing just that and not interacting with others.
NDP
The Chair NDP Hélène LeBlanc
Thank you, Ms. O'Neill Gordon.
I would also like to thank all the witnesses for taking the time to meet with us today and sharing their expertise as we begin our study.
The meeting is adjourned.