Fiona Cousins
The CIBSE Upper Canada and ASHRAE Toronto chapters held a joint evening event on 15 May, titled ‘Gender bias in the AEC industry’, and attended by members of both chapters.
Fiona Cousins FCIBSE, from Arup in New York, and Julia Keen FASHRAE, from Kansas State University, presented the challenges faced by women in the architecture, engineering and construction industry, both in the UK and North America.
This included discussions about retention in the building engineering and construction industry, common barriers for women employees, and tactics and strategies for women to succeed in construction.
The thought-provoking session had a clear message that employers and the industry need to continue to improve to be able to attract and retain a diverse and talented workforce