To mark International Women in Engineering Day 2020 we chatted with some of our females engineers to find out what made them choose this career, and what they think can be done so engage women and girls in engineering.
Eleanor Schofield, Assistant Thermal Modeller
What made you decide to pursue a career in engineering?
I decided to pursue a career in engineering after being interested in sustainability within construction and engineering in college, and after being advised that it could be a rewarding career.
What’s your favourite part of your job?
My favourite part of the job is constantly learning something new and working with others within different sectors of engineering.
What skills do you need to succeed in engineering?
Some of the skills needed to gain a career within the engineering sector are technical, problem solving and teamworking skills.
What has been the greatest challenge in your career so far?
The greatest challenge so far has been to keep up to date with the latest software, standards, and regulations within the sustainability sector of engineering.
What do you think puts women and girls off engineering?
I believe that females are not necessarily put off the idea of working in the engineering industry, but are not given advice on the opportunities in the same way that males are. Therefore I think this leads to many females not having the confidence to go for an education or job role within the sector.
What has your experience been like at CWC?
As a woman working in an engineering role at CWC, I do not feel as though my gender has had any affect on my experience working within the company. Although there aren’t many of us, I have never felt like a minority and this is due to my colleagues in the office.
What do you think the industry can do recruit more women?
To recruit more women in the industry, I believe that companies and organisations should ensure that school education includes an aspect of engineering to ensure that all students, male or female, have knowledge of the opportunities that are available.
Laura Whatmough, Thermal Modelling Engineer
What made you decide to pursue a career in engineering?
I always knew that I’d end up in something construction related! I spent a lot of time with my dad when I was young; he is a building surveyor/ builder and some of my earliest and best childhood memories are helping him on jobs in the back garden. We designed and built a brick Wendy house together when I was about five years old, for me to “teach” my teddies in, and he taught me all about different brick bonds and setting out. Whenever we went out on walks, he would point out different structures and discuss the engineering with me.
There aren’t many five year olds who know of Isambard Kingdom Brunel and Flemish bonds… In school my best subjects were maths and art, so it was logical to go into an architectural degree (BSc Architectural Design and Technology).
What’s your favourite part of your job?
The diversity of what we do as thermal modellers and knowing that it’s making an impact toward a more sustainable future. It’s great to get involved with architects during the feasibility stage and influence the passive design of a building.
What skills do you need to succeed in engineering?
Endurance and passion. I think it would be impossible to work through problems without persevering and caring about the outcome! It can be a very stressful job, so you have to be able to see a purpose in what you’re doing.
What has been the greatest challenge in your career so far?
Perhaps not the greatest challenge, but the most consistent challenge is balancing so many projects and having to quickly switch between them. One minute I can be doing Zero Carbon strategies and someone can ask about daylight calculations or overheating. It takes a moment to switch modes in your brain and remember what you’re supposed to be doing, and it can often come across as being a bit blank. I think only experience will help those transitions.
What do you think puts women and girls off engineering?
A few things, really. Mainly the options provided at school. Construction was offered as a vocational course at my school, however I was discouraged from this and pressured to do standard GCSEs instead. Everyone on that course, aside from one girl who I was envious of for having the courage to go against advice, was male. The whole industry can seem a little bit like a “lads club” at times and you can have to be quite feisty to stand against that.
But I believe you can’t complain about something unless you try and do something about it, so I’m now the Social Secretary for CIBSE Young Engineers in the North West Region, with one of my main aims being to represent women in the local region and prove that we can handle our own!
What do you think the industry can do recruit more women?
I think the industry is already opening up quite a lot, so we need to continue with what we’re doing. Through the involvement of STEM, who engage children in the industry at a young age, different institutes assisting at careers fairs and discussing options children would never have known about, and a new generation of fantastic women in construction who can act as role models to those who are impressionable, I think we’re heading in the right direction to a more diverse workplace.
What advice would you give to women and girls considering a career in engineering?
Go to some careers fairs. Reach out to some local institutions and ask if there are any events which you could get involved in; there are often CPDs after-hours which you would be more than welcome to attend and they could give you a taster of what’s to come. Organise some work experience for a couple of weeks, if you like that, try a longer, paid placement. It’s a hard industry to be in and a big decision to make, so ensure you’re certain before investing your life in it.
And finally, don’t be afraid to be yourself! If you don’t know of somebody in the industry who is like you, it’s just because you haven’t arrived yet.
Jessica Seddon, CAD/Revit Technician
What made you decide to pursue a career in engineering?
Growing up I was always curious about various aspects of engineering. This was mainly due to taking an interest in jobs which my Dad worked on and that inspired me.
I was fascinated by the level of detail that went into building design. Something I became particularly interested in was the use of sustainable solutions to help better our world, whilst also developing our built environment. From that initial interest I decided I wanted a job where I could make a difference to what we build and how we build it, especially in terms of innovative and environmentally considerate design.
What’s your favourite part of your job?
I’d say my favourite part of my job is seeing the progression from the start of a project to when it’s nearing completion. Using Revit to 3D model our projects, we start with a building shell from just the architectural and structural information. To then start adding the various mechanical and electrical services and see it all come together is quite satisfying. I often think that 3D modelling is like a giant puzzle or Rubik’s cube; it certainly can be a challenge but the end result is very rewarding.
What skills do you need to succeed in engineering?
I think there are the basic skills you’d expect such as being able to work well in a team, good people skills, being able to present ideas confidently and discuss them openly, and having a positive mindset to solve problems. The more technical ones come from on the job experience and the courses you undertake (university, apprenticeship etc) to progress in your role.
Personally I try to face work with a positive attitude, think on my feet and preempt any issues that might arise. I like to be able to say “I found this issue, but this is the solution I have for it” so that work can flow and progress smoothly.
What has been the greatest challenge in your career so far?
I think the greatest challenge has been when I’m not so familiar with a process but I need to face it and get the job done as there is a project deadline to meet. That nagging doubt of “what if I don’t do it well enough” can be the loudest voice you hear sometimes, and to just push that aside and focus can be difficult. However I have found that a positive mindset helps to push through to get the task done. If you are ever unsure there is no shame in asking someone their advice, and once that task is complete you can move on and learn from it. It is important to be persistent and keep moving forward.
What do you think puts women and girls off engineering?
From my experience when I was at school, engineering and similar subjects weren’t really “promoted” for girls as career options. Any girls that did look into those roles tended to do so through their own research. I think the main factor would be that the industry is seen as male dominated, and yes, there do tend to be more men than women, given it is the type of work that traditionally would have only been carried out by men.
What has your experience been like at CWC?
I have found the experience so far at CWC to be one of the best in the industry. The teams and management are fully supportive of everyone, and it really never crosses my mind that being a woman in construction is ‘hindering’ me here. The people are great and I enjoy working here on challenging projects.
What do you think the industry can do recruit more women?
Personally I would start with schools, encouraging them to work with companies and hold promotional events. This would help to open girls’ minds up to the vast career opportunities within engineering, ready to pick their subjects for GCSE and so on. Helping to promote this at a younger age would encourage these girls to pursue careers which they might not have known they would have be interested in.
I definitely think raising awareness, promoting what we do and the different career options within engineering to younger generations of women will help encourage more of them to go down this career path.
What advice would you give to women and girls considering a career in engineering?
Engineering has a lot of different roles that don’t just consist of mechanical or electrical engineering in building services. It is a colourful and challenging array of job roles where you could be working on anything from a residential project in the south of Wales, to an aviation project in Dubai.
It is a role that whilst challenging and demanding at times, is certainly interesting and ever changing. I think it is fair to say there is always something new and different to learn when working in Building Services Engineering, and when you see the end result you worked hard to achieve, that is a reward in itself.
