Are parents opting out of their careers in STEM?

Canada has emerged as a world leader in many science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields. Many new jobs and career opportunities that have emerged in recent years are STEM-related. As more and more businesses and organizations look to innovate, modernize and grow, the demand for people who can fill STEM-related jobs will only increase.

So we wanted to know, what are the employment trends in STEM right now? One thing we learned really surprised us.  

Statistics Canada | Statistique Canada did a deep dive into the research around the career paths and retention of people working in STEM. They found multiple sources indicating parents exit STEM at a higher rate than child-free colleagues.

“New mothers and new fathers were both more likely to move out of STEM occupations than their childless peers, and most did not move back into these occupations when their children reached school age.” A Gender Analysis of the Occupational Pathways of STEM Graduates in Canada

That parenthood has such a significant effect on STEM retention cannot be ignored. Given that most people become parents during their working lives, if Canadian employers and Canada want to attract and retain STEM professionals, we will need to be thoughtful about how to address their needs, including dependable social program supports.

Access to high-quality, affordable child care supports parents to work in STEM

Pamela and Patrick are parents who work in different areas of STEM. Pamela works in geomatics and Patrick is a software developer. Ask either of them what they like about their jobs and they have a lot to say, but that doesn’t mean pursuing a career in STEM while parenting is easy.

“[Our company works] on several operational services that are seasonal, and I was coming back from parental leave right in the middle of one and the beginning of another, so I wasn’t sure what to expect in terms of workload. But I was also looking forward to using that other part of my brain again to problem solve and work through things.” – Pamela, remote sensing specialist and mother

When Pamela’s parental leave ended, Patrick had just started an accelerated software development program. Living in a province with $10-a-day child care, the family was on many waitlists, but were only able to find one home-based option in time. And that particular spot was costly—in addition to Patrick’s tuition, their child care fees amounted to an extra mortgage payment. This meant many late-night conversations discussing their options, including if Patrick should postpone his studies.

Thankfully, after five stressful months, and many follow-ups, they landed an affordable spot.

“It costs less for a whole month than a week [at the other place]!” Pamela shared. “The $10-a-day centre that accepted [our daughter] was also an EXCELLENT day care.”

And while research may show many people leave STEM upon becoming parents, for this family the opposite is true. Not only did Patrick finish his program on schedule, he has already landed a job in the field at a medical software start-up. Patrick attributes his entry into STEM to access to $10-a-day child care.

“Being able to do that program in one year was only really possible because of the $10-a-day day care.” – Patrick, recent software development graduate and father

While we love hearing about two parents succeeding in their chosen STEM fields, even more important is that every member of their family is thriving. 

“I’ve noticed a big change in [our daughter’s] language,” Pamela shared. “Her speech just skyrocketed. Picking her up at the end of the day is the best, being greeted with her big smile and then she slams into you with a hug.”

Making affordable child care available for more families

All parents deserve to pursue their careers and dreams.

Our transformative investment of more than $27 billion over 5 years to build a Canada-wide early learning and child care system with provinces and territories is helping to bring fees for regulated child care down to $10 a day on average across Canada and supporting the creation of 250,000 new child care spaces by March 2026.

Learn more about Canada-wide early learning and child care: Canada.ca/child-care