Modern life depends on engineers
Roads and bridges. Power generation and water distribution. Food processing and microprocessing.
We don’t often stop to think about it, but so much of the critical infrastructure of modern life depends on the work of engineers.
March is National Engineering Month in Canada, so there’s no better time to highlight the impact engineers have on our everyday lives. These creative, innovative, analytical thinkers are responsible for designing buildings that can withstand earthquakes, protecting the environment from pollutants and maintaining complex telecommunications systems, among many other things.
They’re also tackling some of the most complex challenges our world faces today, including adapting to a rapidly changing climate and harnessing the power of artificial intelligence for societal good. That’s why it’s imperative Canada moves quickly to address the coming skills gap anticipated in all fields of engineering.
According to Engineers Canada, over the next 10 years, this country will need about 100,000 new engineers to replace those who are expected to retire and leave the workforce or fill new roles resulting from a growing economy. The demand for engineers is especially acute in Ontario which has established itself as a hub for technological advancement and a global leader in innovation.
Brock University is doing its part to help head off this coming crisis with the launch of the Yousef Haj-Ahmad Department of Engineering, which will welcome its first class of undergraduate students this fall.
We decided to take a novel approach to training the next generation of Canadian engineers, starting with an integrated engineering program, tailor-made to address emerging needs and challenges across a number of fields.
The program blurs the lines between traditional engineering disciplines, helping the engineers of tomorrow lead in fields as diverse as big data, artificial intelligence, bioengineering, medical devices, sustainability and green engineering, robot automation, manufacturing, transportation and more.
Students in the program will take courses in everything from electronics and computer-aided design to renewable and clean energy and water resource management, and get hands-on, practical experience along the way — ensuring they’re fully job-ready upon graduation.
If we are to successfully close the coming skills gap, it’s also critical that we support the training of engineers from diverse communities, and work to close the long-standing gender disparity in the field.
Although women make up more than 50 per cent of Canada’s population, they represent only about 15 per cent of engineering professionals.
Brock strongly supports Engineers Canada’s initiative to raise the percentage of newly licensed engineers who are women to 30 per cent by 2030, an achievable goal if we provide women students the supports and role models they need to be successful.
Brock’s program was founded with this very goal in mind, and has received generous philanthropic support to help pave the way for generations of skilled women engineers.
The Haj-Ahmad Engineering Scholarship for Women and the Laura Sabia Scholarships both support aspiring women engineers, while the Laura Sabia Research Scholar awards recognize research excellence involving women.
We’re proud to be playing a role in addressing the engineering skills gap and training the next generation of creative thinkers and problem solvers who have such a significant impact on all our lives.