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International Women In Engineering Day - Part 2

'Women in Engineering’ is an international awareness campaign, designed to raise the profile of women in engineering and the variety of career opportunities available. It’s also an opportunity to shine a light on the outstanding women engineers within Western Power Distribution.

Recruiting engineers is difficult and distribution engineers are in such short supply across the country they now appear on the Home Office’s official Shortage Occupation List. Therefore recruiting and retaining women engineers’ is an even greater challenge for the industry.

Earlier this year, Western Power Distribution joined the WISE Campaign with the aim of encouraging wider participation from women in the recruitment of trainees, apprentices and graduates.

Positive role models can often encourage like-minded people to see beyond the gender stereotypes and help break down perceived barriers about the type of people employed by any business.

 



To celebrate International Women in Engineering Day 2018, a selection of WPD’s women engineers share their own experiences in the hope they may inspire others to consider a career in the engineering arena.

Kristina Grinnall, Planning & Design Trainee, from Worcester
I like the fact no two days are the same! I think there’s a lack of exposure to engineering roles from education through to employment and some people may not be aware that not all jobs require degree level entry.
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Julie Richmond, Primary System Design Engineer, from Tipton
I always enjoyed maths and science at school and benefitted from supportive teachers and family who encouraged me. I believe women need more confidence in their skills and abilities in STEM subjects, which should be encouraged from an early age. Society or history should not dictate or limit your choices.
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Zoe Dashfield, Planner, from Bristol
My dad is an engineer but it was not something I had considered as a career. I was looking for a new challenge and now I’m in this role, we talk engineering all the time! The advances in machinery mean physical strength is less important while organisational skills are vital.
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Jill Russell, WPD’s Environment Manager, Bristol
Having worked for engineering companies for twenty years I’ve never felt that being a woman has in anyway hindered or influenced my career path. My career progression, I like to think, is on the back of professional achievements and a commitment to getting the job done. Being an environment professional for an engineering company isn’t always the most straightforward of occupations, it is however a role I enjoy, take pride in and happy to undertake, for me being a woman is just incidental.

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