As part of our National Engineering Month (NEM) celebrations, OSPE hosted a virtual panel event titled The Debrief: A Post-Election Engineering Advocacy Forum. Engineers and Policymakers came together for a thoughtful and engaging session about what’s ahead for Ontario and how the engineering profession can help shape the province’s future.
Our public affairs team focused on creating an event to facilitate practical conversations that connect engineering to the province’s most pressing challenges. From housing to transit, from energy to education, the discussion covered a lot of ground.
The session was moderated by OSPE’s CEO, Sandro Perruzza, who expertly guided the conversation and worked with panelists to connect the dots across complex topics. His approach helped keep the discussion grounded, insightful, and relevant to the work engineers are doing across Ontario.
Thank you to the expert panelists who devoted their time to preparing and leading this impactful conversation:
- Dr. Marilyn Powers, P.Eng., ICD.D., who brought a fresh perspective on STEM education and workforce development
- Chris Gerrits, P.Eng., who contributed his expertise in infrastructure and sustainability
- Hon. Omar Alghabra, MP, P.Eng., former federal Minister of Transport, who offered valuable insights on public policy and collaboration
Each speaker brought something unique, and the discussion reflected a wide range of ideas and experiences.
We structured the conversation around five key topics that will continue to shape engineering in Ontario. Here are some of the key takeaways:
STEM Education
- Policy changes directly impact student enrollment decisions. Engineers should engage in public discourse to shape future talent pipelines.
- Caps on international students are limiting program funding and shrinking access to high-quality STEM education.
- Soft skills like communication and teamwork are highly valuable to engineering employers and should be a focus in engineering programs in addition to technical skills.
Housing Affordability
- Innovative building methods (e.g., modular and 3D-printed homes) are available but underused due to regulatory hesitation.
- Engineers must advocate for updated approval processes and provide training to close knowledge gaps and make the approval process easier regarding implementing new technologies.
- Housing affordability needs system-level solutions. Engineers are well equipped to lead cross-sector collaboration and examine the current system to find areas to improve and redesign the current system.
Public Transit
- Public transit systems should be designed with long-term reliability, accessibility, and employer connectivity in mind.
- Engineers can help shift cultural norms by designing mobility systems that reduce car dependency.
Clean Energy Infrastructure
- Our panelists have seen growth areas in nuclear energy, wind energy, and electrification.
- Regional resistance to transition can be mitigated with clear economic and environmental value propositions.
- Engineers must bridge the gap between technical innovation and public understanding to enable large-scale adoption of new energy technologies.
Procurement & Qualifications-Based Selection (QBS)
- Current low-bid models undervalue engineering expertise and limit innovation.
- QBS supports better outcomes by prioritizing competence, creativity, and total value over cost alone.
- Engineers must push for procurement models that enable solution-driven design and flexible problem-solving.
Trade & Tariffs
- Engineers should be proactive in identifying local economic opportunities and strengthening national resilience.
We’re grateful to everyone who joined the conversation and helped make the event a success. The feedback has been great, and it reinforced something we already knew, engineers want to be part of building Ontario’s future, not just through their work but by shaping the policies that guide it.
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