Hydro One has renewed its University Engineering Partnership, that includes the University of Waterloo, with a $1.2 million investment.
The funding will support more than 60,000 students across four partner institutions, expanding outreach, mentorship and career development programming from K–12 through to employment.
(L to R): Dr. Sri Krishnan, Dean, Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science, TMU; Gillian Whitebread, Executive Vice President, Head of Human Resources, Hydo One; Jon Ribbick, Vice President, Business Solutions, Hydro One Inc; Dr. Jeffrey Wood, Associate Dean, Undergraduate Studies, Western University; Dr. Hossam Kishawy, Professor and Dean, Automotive, Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, OTU; Dr. Mary Wells, Dean of Engineering, University of Waterloo; Vivian Yoanidis, Senior Manager DEI, Hydro One
The University of Waterloo is one of four partners in the Hydro One University Engineering Partnership, alongside Toronto Metropolitan University, Ontario Tech University and Western University. The partnership, first launched in 2012, was initially focused on increasing the participation of women in engineering and has since evolved into a broader equity-focused initiative — one that has delivered a 220 per cent increase in female high school applicants to engineering programs at the partner schools over 13 years.
"When this partnership began in 2012, we set out to inspire more young women to see themselves in engineering," said Dr. Mary Wells, Dean of Engineering at the University of Waterloo and Executive Chair of the Hydro One Women in Engineering University Partnership, in a press release.
"Since then, that vision has grown into a strong, province-wide partnership across our four institutions. Hydro One's support has been the constant that has enabled us to build sustained, tailored programming and take the long-term approach that creates lasting change. Their renewed commitment gives us even more runway to build on that momentum and broaden our reach further in the years ahead."
Programming spans the full education-to-employment pipeline, with Hydro One annually welcoming more than 300 students and new graduates through co-op placements, internships and mentorship programs that provide direct pathways from the classroom to careers in Ontario's energy sector.
The partnership will run from 2026 to 2028, with a continued focus on talent development, representation, and inclusive pathways into Ontario's engineering workforce.