Women make up around six per cent of the engineering work force in the UK and with National Women in Engineering Day next week (23 June) South East Water’s female engineers want to get the message out that engineering is not just a man’s world.
The water company has 15 women working in the engineering department in a range of roles, including civil, process and environmental engineering.
Projects they work on range from designing and installing new water pipes to building new reservoirs and water treatment works.
Amy Temple, Graduate Process Engineer at South East Water, said:
“My job involves giving process support for engineering projects which are focused on making our water fit for our customers. I work at all stages of the project from initial design to the commissioning of the final build.
“I would encourage young women to seriously look into engineering as a career. There are so many different industries that engineers work in and a wide variety of roles - it’s not all hard hats and safety boots!”
Echoing her colleagues’ point, Kate Baker, Senior Process Engineer, commented:
“Engineering is primarily staffed by men but there is a good contribution of women now. The most difficult bit has sometimes been finding a ladies toilet on site!”
“If you enjoy understanding how things work, solving problems and making a really useful contribution to life projects, then please consider engineering. I have not regretted it.”
The Women’s Engineering Society set up National Women in Engineering Day last year which aims to inspire more young women to consider studying and working in engineering. The Society itself started life in 1919 when the pioneering women who worked in engineering and technical roles during the World War 1 campaigned to retain the roles when the war ended.
South East Water are encouraging women interested in working for the water industry to visit their opportunities page at southeastwater.co.uk/careers
For more information on National Women in Engineering Day visit www.nwed.org.uk
Owen Mace has taken over as Director of the British Plastics Federation (BPF) Plastic Pipes Group on the retirement of Caroline Ayres. He was previously Standards and Technical Manager for the group.
PureTec Separations, the Ledbury-based water treatment engineering firm, has appointed Dan Norman as its new Sales Manager – Water Process Systems, supporting the company’s continued growth in the UK and international markets.
bNovate has launched BactoCloud, a secure cloud-based platform that connects and manages its BactoSense instruments, enabling real-time monitoring and optimization of microbial water quality.
Amiblu, a global leader in Glass Reinforced Plastic (GRP) pipe systems for wastewater, stormwater, drinking water, irrigation, hydropower, and industrial applications, has announced the appointment of Martyn Turton as its Sales Director for the UK & Ireland, driving strategic market development in the infrastructure and water sectors, effective immediately.
Hear how Scottish Water has completed its £235 million Ayrshire Glasgow Resilience Project - customers across Greater Glasgow, Ayrshire and East Renfrewshire will now benefit from a more secure and resilient water supply.
Hear how United Utilities is accelerating its investment to reduce spills from storm overflows across the Northwest.
Find out more about the remarkable career opportunities on offer at WSP - scroll down to watch the inspirational video.