Alberta's largest community college is receiving $400,000 from the province to create new bursaries for women in pursuit of careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).
With campuses in Calgary, Cochrane, Airdrie, Banff and Okotoks, Bow Valley College announced the news on March 8, which also happens to be International Women's Day.
The announcement came on the heels of the Alberta government saying it was making an investment to employ more women in the STEM fields as the economy grows.
“Women are underrepresented in these professions, and Bow Valley College is elated to give them the opportunity to demonstrate they can excel in STEM disciplines,” Dean of Business, Technology and Entertainment Arts Alison Anderson said in a press release.
The college's new Women Pivoting in Tech bursaries will help cover not only tuition costs, but will also aid with offsetting other costs such as technology, child care and basic expenses.
By relieving some financial pressures, the aim is to reassure recipients that they can manage a post-secondary education.
“The day-to-day expenses are often what hold women back when they consider pursuing higher education,” said director of student services and registrar Lynn Connell.
“Making that rent payment, buying that bus pass, and hiring a babysitter are all considerations for them. These bursaries will lift some of their financial worries so they can concentrate on classes.”
The bursaries are open for application to all female-identifying students, including those looking for a change mid-career.
Bow Valley College offers STEM diploma and post-diploma programs that help to fill in-demand jobs in fields such as cybersecurity, cloud computing, information and technology services, and software development.
The bursary funding is part of the government's Alberta Recovery Plan, which includes a commitment to support women's economic recovery. It follows a $1.9-million investment made recently toward a two-year research and innovation grant to support skills development training for women in the IT sector.
Associate Minister of Status of Women Whitney Issik said the announcement came at a perfect time, as International Women's Day celebrates all that women have done to better the province.
“These bursaries will help more women pursue fulfiling and in-demand careers that will help build Alberta’s future,” she said.
“Through this investment, Alberta’s government is expanding the impact of the government’s Women in STEM and Persons Case Scholarships, which are supporting a record number of students this year with close to a million dollars in funding.”
According to the province, women represent only about one-third of enrolments and graduates in STEM programs and only about one-quarter of employees in STEM fields despite making up more than half of Alberta's population.
Also approved for STEM bursary program funding was NorQuest College and Yellowhead Tribal College in Edmonton.
