Women earn more than half of university degrees in Canada, but fewer than 1 in 4 jobs in the science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) sector are occupied by women. Programs that help young people with career exploration and leadership opportunities can help close that gap.
Across Pathways communities, students are exploring fields such as engineering, technology, or health sciences and gaining the confidence to pursue their passions. For the past nine years, Pathways Canada has partnered with SHAD to support students across the country in accessing its immersive summer program, which promotes entrepreneurship and STEAM-based programming.
Through SHAD’s generous commitment to closing the opportunity gap, 20 Pathways students each year receive a full bursary, including travel, to attend the month-long program at one of SHAD’s university partners. Neevatha, a graduate of Pathways Scarborough Village, was one of many young women who left the program feeling empowered to pursue a career in STEAM.
“SHAD was one of the most pivotal experiences I’ve had in high school,” says Neevatha. “It taught me how to collaborate with others and be innovative. It also boosted my self-confidence and made me less afraid to take risks. Opportunities like this open doors for young women, helping them build confidence in a male-dominated industry.”
Since then, Neevatha has graduated from the University of Waterloo and Wilfred Laurier University with a double degree in Math and Business Administration. Today, she works at Toyota Canada as a Data Analyst and gives back to the next generation of women and girls in the Pathways Program. “I go back to Pathways Scarborough Village to make sure young women are aware of what’s available to them and what they can do. It’s important to play our part in empowering one another to pursue STEAM roles and feel confident in those spaces, too.”
We are grateful to partners like SHAD for providing Pathways youth like Neevatha with opportunities to explore careers in STEAM. Experiences like these are an important step toward closing the gender gap in fields where women continue to be underrepresented.