Inspiring the next generation of female engineers
Every year 60 female high school students from across New Zealand take part in UC’s WiE CAN summer experience.
Our Impact
By supporting the WiE CAN initiative we’ve helped the University of Canterbury boost the number of young women enrolling in its engineering degrees by 445 students over three years.
The Story
Each year, 60 young women from across Aotearoa arrive at the The University of Canterbury | Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha (UC) for a five-day experience that could shape the course of their future. The WiE CAN programme (Women in Engineering Can) is designed to introduce Year 13 wāhine to the world of engineering, a sector in which women are still significantly underrepresented.
Through hands-on workshops and direct engagement with women working in the field, participants gain a meaningful insight into what engineering can offer – and why it could be a place for them.
Lucy Jenkins, Marketing and Outreach Partner for UC Engineering, explains:
“The programme has a huge impact. We typically see more than half of the 60 participants go on to enrol in engineering. That tells us it’s not just a great experience — it’s a powerful catalyst.”
WiE CAN’s success is proven by the numbers. From 2022 - 2025, female enrolment in UC undergraduate engineering degrees grew from 22.8% to 24.6% (an increase of 445 students).
In 2022, the Tait Foundation came onboard as the full donor of WiE CAN, covering all on-site programme costs for participants. The partnership has allowed organisers to focus on outreach, inclusion and programme enrichment.
“Having the Tait Foundation fully support the programme has been transformative. It’s meant we can focus on growing the programme and attracting young women who love science and maths but don’t necessarily see engineering as a choice for them.”
The donation aligns strongly with the Tait Foundation’s mission to improve access to STEM education and encourage equal representation in Aotearoa’s technology sectors.
“Tait and UC have a shared goal of getting more women in engineering. We both want to create a more balanced future for engineering, because diverse thinking is crucial to solving the world’s biggest challenges.”
Programmes like WiE CAN are quietly but powerfully changing the face of engineering in Aotearoa — showing young women that there’s a place for them in the profession, and that their perspectives matter.
The Tait Foundation is proud to support WiE CAN. Through this partnership, we’re helping to spark ambition, grow confidence and build connections for the next generation of wāhine in STEM.
