WTS International names Stantec Employer of the Year for 2021

Stantec has been named Employer of the Year by WTS International, an international organization dedicated to building the future of transportation through the advancement of women.

The Employer of the Year distinction is awarded to organizations for their commitment to strengthening the transportation industry through recruiting, retaining, and advancing women within the industry, providing career development and opportunities for professional growth within the organization, and supporting WTS at local and national levels.

In a June 16 news release, Stantec says it was recognized for advancing professional development opportunities, supporting WTS through membership events and volunteer positions, and encouraging women to enter the transportation field through community organizations, youth programs, and partnerships. “Stantec was awarded Employer of the Year by WTS Minnesota in 2020, which was elevated to firmwide status in 2021 on the strength of Stantec’s corporate programs and the submission by the firm’s Minnesota chapter members,” the firm said.

“We are so proud and honored to receive this distinction from WTS International,” said Susan Walter, Stantec’s executive vice present, infrastructure. “Over the years, WTS has had a meaningful impact in empowering our professionals to propel the transportation industry forward. We will continue to move the needle on gender diversity, which has proven to positively impact our workplace, our clients, and our communities. I would especially like to thank the WTS Minnesota chapter and its Stantec members for showcasing the work we do, and for making our selection for this award possible.”

According to Stantec, its initiatives to support the advancement of women within the firm and industry include:

• Supporting the advancement of women through Women@Stantec, an employee resource group with chapters across the globe.
• Actively working to increase the number of women in its talent pool and leadership roles firmwide. Four of Stantec’s nine Board members (44%) are women. This is also roughly the percent of female Stantec employees in the US.
• Engaging Catalyst, a global nonprofit that promotes inclusive workplaces for women, to conduct a detailed workforce analysis to improve women’s representation in senior leadership.
• Issuing the firm’s first Gender Pay Gap Report in the United Kingdom in 2018 and preparing to conduct a global pay equity study to help identify and address potential issues.
• Signing on as a founding partner of The Diversity Agenda in New Zealand; the goal is to get 20% more women into engineering and architecture roles by 2021.
• Launching the Career Empowerment Pilot Program in Stantec’s US offices, offering 45 women the opportunity to receive three months of training and group coaching to help identify career goals and set simple strategies to put them into action.
• Starting a female-focused sponsorship program called SponsorHer, providing women with high performance and drive with active sponsorship, and strengthening the talent pipeline by increasing the number of women in leadership roles.
• Celebrating International Women’s Day in offices around the world, closely aligning with the firm’s commitment to building a strong culture of inclusion and diversity.