Supporting the Leaders of Tomorrow
At WTS Canadian Education Foundation, a scholarship is more than dollars toward student costs. It
is an invitation to meet and network with supportive industry
members in the Women’s Transportation Seminar (WTS), an
international organization focused on strengthening the transportation industry through diversity and the advancement of
women.
Local WTS Chapters are open to anyone with an interest in
transportation and provide opportunities for networking and
mentoring. These industry connections and supports can
make all the difference when building and advancing a career.
It is estimated that women comprise 20% of the Transportation Sector
in Canada with a small fraction of that percentage holding leadership
roles. This means a large share of the talent pool is missing, along with
their ideas and contributions.
The effects of Climate Change are impacting every aspect of our industry and spurring a need for rapid innovation and sustainability leadership. A diverse, equitable, and inclusive industry will benefit from a larger talent pool, more ideas, and better solutions. A diverse
workforce will make for a better transportation industry.
Help us make this happen.
Scholarships Offered
WTS CEF Scholarship
Transportation is a thriving and comprehensive industry. It incorporates all forms of human modality and draws on knowledge and skill sets from various fields and educational backgrounds. Despite the broad range of educational fields that can lead to a career in transportation, women continue to be under-represented in transportation-related occupations as identified by various studies. To further the development of the transportation industry through gender diversification and to attract young talent, a scholarship has been established in partnership with the WTS Toronto Chapter.
Joy de Cosson Scholarship
WTS CEF is dedicated to building the future of transportation through the global advancement of women and has prioritized scholarship support for female Canadian students in the field of transportation since 2003. The endowment to Simon Fraser University provides funding for the Joy de Cosson Graduate Scholarship in Sustainable Transportation, awarded annually. As ably demonstrated by Joy de Cosson who took up a challenging non-traditional role in her early twenties, women have the capacity, courage and competency to participate fully in every aspect of our society. The scholarship awarded in her name will ensure that many more women have the means and the support to take their rightful place in the ranks of transportation professionals in Canada.
Jan Pezarro Award for Advancing Women in Transportation
In recognition of Jan Pezarro, a founding member of the WTS CEF and Vancouver-based transportation industry leader, the WTS CEF is offering the Jan Pezarro Award for Advancing Women in Transportation – a one-time scholarship valued at $3,000 CAD. The scholarship is available to current British Columbia-based post-secondary students pursuing a degree in planning, urban design, economics, engineering, communications, law, political science, environmental science, or any other program that will lead to a career focused on transportation.