Natalie Parker is a Technical Specialist for the Operational Technology Group at Sellafield Ltd. Natalie’s passion for STEM, especially maths and science, led her to explore an apprenticeship in Control Systems, quickly advancing from apprentice to senior engineer. Today, she provides technical advice, supports projects, and manages a team of nine engineers, driving collaboration and innovation across facility teams.

As a finalist for the IET Young Woman Engineer of the Year 2024, Natalie is a strong advocate for young girls in engineering, highlighting the field's vast opportunities. She co-leads Sellafield’s Women in Technology group, working to achieve gender balance, and created the "Get Wired…Get Coding" workshop to inspire primary school students to explore electrical circuits and programming.

Today, we explore her journey and how choosing the non-traditional university route has given her valuable hands-on experience and encourages more STEM students to consider careers in engineering.

When did you realise that a career in engineering was right for you? Was there a particular moment in your life?

I always had a passion for STEM subjects throughout school in particular maths and science. I went to study my A-levels at a time the tuition fees had rose from £3000 and year to £9000. At this moment I realised I didn’t know what I wanted to study at university so started to explore apprenticeships available in the local area and discovered Control Systems which appealed to me. This was the first step into my engineering career.

What does an average day look like for you?

My days are extremely varied. I can be undertaking technical teaching to degree apprentices and acting as their line manager, undertaking assurance activities and investigations, providing technical support to projects and front-line engineering teams, carrying out maintenance improvements within my department, leading on work experience, leading the Women in Technology group.

How did you get into this career?

I began my Control Systems apprenticeship in September 2011. I stumbled across this apprenticeship not really knowing much about control systems but the involvement of maths and problem solving really appealed to me. I then spent the next 7 years developing from an apprentice to a senior control systems engineer. I then spent some time in the project team before entering my current role as a Control Systems Technical Specialist.

What qualifications have you earned?

I obtained a 1^st class honour in Plant Engineering (Engineering Systems).

Did you face any challenges with your career decision as a woman engineer?

When I had my children who are now 4 and 5, I suffered a bit of negativity with regards to my career and the unconscious bias of individuals. However, I have used this to my advantage and motivation to upskill management and this has given me the tools to progress in my career.

What advice would you give to young girls considering a career in engineering?

The world of engineering is so vast, and the opportunities are endless. As an engineer you can work all over the world in many different industries. It’s an exciting and ever-changing field to work in.

Do you have any interesting stories from your career as an engineer?

During my 7 years as a front-line engineer, I was involved in a very complex system modification due to problems with the facility equipment. The result from the modification enabled the facility to finish reprocessing nuclear fuel and I was able to sit with the operations team and watch the final shear. Very proud moment!

I have also loved running work experience and welcoming some of the students back as our control systems degree apprentices.

 

Curious about our #ShesAnEngineer series? Dive into our video series featuring women who are driving change and breaking down barriers in this male-dominated field. Discover their inspiring stories here: https://www.alexander-assoc.co.uk/women-in-engineering.

 

 

Deborah is a Senior Director at Arcadis, based in London, with a distinguished career in civil engineering that began after an early passion for constructing things and a pivotal moment at a summer engineering course at Salford University in 1991.

Over the course of her career, Deborah has contributed to high-profile projects like flood defence schemes along the Thames Estuary and the innovative Medmerry Managed Realignment, which transformed the British coastline.

After earning a 2:1 in Civil Engineering and becoming a Chartered Engineer in 2002, she quickly advanced in her career, benefiting from a supportive family and educational environment. Now serving as an NEC Project Manager, she oversees complex projects, where every day brings new challenges and opportunities.

A strong advocate for diversity in engineering, Deborah encourages young girls to pursue careers in the built environment, highlighting the chance to make a meaningful impact.

Today, we dive into her story, exploring the experiences and lessons that have driven her success and shaped her journey.

When did you realise that a career in engineering was right for you? Was there a particular moment in your life?

As a kid I had always liked toys like Lego, Meccano or making dens in the garden …oh and obviously mud pies! So clearly from an early age I liked to construct things and enjoyed the outdoors! I opted for science and maths at A level as I thought that would get me further rather than what I was good at, Music, French and Humanities!

The teacher I babysat suggested engineering as she said, “I could see you as a civil engineer” and I had no idea what that was. I was lucky enough to attend an INSIGHT For Girls course at Salford University in the summer of 1991 that explored all forms of engineering, and it was here I decided that civil engineering was a career I’d be interested in, so I guess it was on that course that defined my career choice!

What does an average day look like for you?

My days are very varied, my current role is as an NEC Project Manager administering contracts for the Environment Agency delivering flood defence schemes across the Thames Estuary. My day can involve visits to site to monitor progress and resolve issues, meetings in offices with team members, engaging and talking to clients, assessing change on my projects and reviewing programmes. It’s rarely the same!

How did you get into this career?

I applied to various universities and was accepted back to Salford University to study Civil Engineering with an Industrial Year, and I was fortunate enough to be successful at my second year interview and gained a place at Costain for my year out. Here I was able to build on my theoretical knowledge as well as getting a good understanding of what life was like as a site engineer!

What qualifications did you get?

I got 4 A Levels (just) in Maths, Physics, Chemistry and General Studies. I then went to university and gained a 2:1 in Civil Engineering and then in 2002 I became a Chartered Civil Engineer.

Did you face any challenges with your career decision as a woman engineer?

I was fortunate as I didn’t. My parents were very supportive, and my teachers encouraged me.  

What advice would you give to young girls considering a career in engineering?

If you have a passion for the built environment, then do it.

If you want to make a difference, then do it.

If you want to improve the quality of life, then do it.

Basically no one should be stopping you from doing it. It’s a varied and interesting career and can take you anywhere in the world if you want it to. It’s not a “dirty” career as was once thought and construction companies are actively seeking diversity in their workforce and as such the working conditions have improved vastly since I started my career!

Do you have any standout memories from your career as an engineer?

Not sure if it’s a funny story but when I started back at Costain after my career I learnt a valuable lesson about record keeping. In a road construction you have to clearly mark out where things like drainage gullies and draw pits are. I made a mistake and couldn’t find one in a footpath before it was to be tarmacked…so I was given a shovel and a pick axe and told to “find it”…I did…but I didn’t overlook a measurement again!

The project I am most proud of is Medmerry Managed Realignment as this was innovative and unique. It was a flood defence scheme that involved a 7km embankment in land from the beach between Selsey and Bracklesham with the aim was to provide not only flood defence but also a variety of habitats. We did this through a 110m breach (create a gap) in the shingle beach and allowed the sea in to create the variety of habitats. You can see this realigned coastline from the air and it's changed the shape of the British coast line for ever…that’s something to be proud of!

 

Curious about our #ShesAnEngineer series? Dive into our video series featuring women who are driving change and breaking down barriers in this male-dominated field. Discover their inspiring stories here: https://www.alexander-assoc.co.uk/women-in-engineering.

 

Louise Beale is Technical Director in the Land Quality and Remediation Team at SLR Consulting Limited. A role model for women in engineering, Louise shares her story, from wandering the Shropshire hills exploring old mines, to championing women in leadership.

The Inspiration for Becoming an Engineer

Louise grew up on a farm in the countryside, so always liked working outdoors. Her favourite subject at school was geography and she’d hoped to follow that subject through to university but didn’t get the A-Levels she wanted. Instead, she chose to study Geology and Geography.

“I absolutely loved my degree. Being around the sort of people who were motivated by the same things I was”, she said.

“I got a job after my degree at an environmental consultancy, and I spent all summer wandering around the hills of Shropshire looking for old mine entrances. And I thought this is this is what I want to do.”

Heading Back to University

Encouraged by colleagues during her summer consultancy job, Louise returned to university to complete a Masters in Geochemistry.

“My Masters gave me another year of experience, another year being out in the field and lots of opportunities to learn. I think a Masters demonstrates your credentials, that you can write reports, and you can do the analytical processes. I definitely think it is worthwhile.”

Straight after obtaining her Masters, Louise attended a Careers Fair and landed a job at an environmental consultancy. This started her on a career path working in contaminated land assessment that she’s followed for nearly 30 years.

Unearthing New Skills and Passions

Working in contaminated land assessment involves collaborating with clients who have a piece of land or a site they want to buy or develop.

“You start by knowing nothing about that piece of dirty derelict land. It’s really grotty, but you do the investigations, you research its history, you look at the potential for contamination, you take samples, and you analyse the data.

“And ultimately, you determine what the problems are and what needs to be done to bring it back to being a safe and beneficial space.

“I really love that process and the feeling that I’m helping to improve the environment”.

Early Inspiration

Louise was lucky enough to start her career in a supportive environment where everyone “mucked in together”.

During her second job, following a move to London in 1998, she continued to find role models and someone whom she refers to as “my best boss ever”.

“He had an excellent attitude and was all about doing the right thing, doing it well, and enjoying your work while you did it. He really motivated and encouraged us to be one big team. I think everything I know about leading and managing people, l learned from him.”

“And I was working with a lot of female engineers who were my grade and level of experience. Our team was 50/50 male to female split and we just kept growing as a team because it was such a great place to work.”

Breaking Glass Ceilings

When Louise’s manager and mentor left his role, she decided to apply for it in a job share arrangement with a female engineer colleague. She’d had children by that point and had returned to work three days a week.

“There were a lot of us working part-time and the company made it happen around us. It was still very possible to do the site work and the office work around our working hours.”

Louise and her job share partner were offered the role, which was the first time the company had appointed a job share to lead a team.

“It worked brilliantly. We complemented each other so well – we were better than the sum of our parts. I’m a lot better in the mornings, she was better in the evenings. I’m more ‘big picture’, while she had a lot more attention to detail.”

Louise believes that having a family means you learn to work differently. In her experience, before you have children, you focus on whatever hours it takes to get the job done. Whereas afterwards, you have to leave at a certain point in the day, so you become much more efficient.

A New Direction

Louise’s career changed when her company was acquired by another. At nearly 20 years into her career, she thought she was on an ongoing trajectory where she’d be moving up the ladder and taking on more and more senior positions.

“I think that was the first realisation I had that it wasn't as straightforward as that,” she said.

“I was applying for a promotion, along with a couple of male colleagues. When they got it and I didn't, I was told it was because I didn't have enough hours in the office. So I was encouraged to increase my days.

“Not long after that I moved on from that company to the company I am at now.”

Managing Menopause

It was around this time Louise became perimenopausal.

"I cannot believe the impact that it has had on my life in the last two years.”
Louise experienced around 10-12 different symptoms but attributed each to something else in her life. A stressful project, not stretching properly after a run. But poor sleep, anxiety, not being able to multi-task anymore, and aches and pains in her body were taking a toll.

“I got to the point where I lost quite a lot of confidence in myself. I remember I was going into a meeting with a lot of my peers who were all male. And I was scared about saying something stupid. I thought they could all see through me and think that I didn't actually know how to do my job anymore.”

A colleague suggested she speak to another woman in the company who was having similar experiences. Following her advice, Louise decided to speak to a few of her male colleagues about how she was feeling. It was amazing, and she suddenly felt she had permission to be open about it.

Overcoming a Career Plateau

Louise acknowledges there is a correlation between the lack of women in leadership roles and menopause, which she has observed from her own experiences.

“I just thought, do I want to do a role and take on extra stress and responsibility? Or do I just reduce my hours, do my job and go home again?” she said.

“I was at the point where I was seriously considering asking for a reduction in hours and accepting this was a this was as good as it was going to get.”

It was only through talking to other people that Louise realised she could get help and there was support available. She believes a lot has changed for the better over the last few years, with more people being open on social media about the impact of menopause.

Her company has embraced this trend and started initiatives such as menopause awareness training for all staff, and management training for supervisors.

“It’s changing and I would love that to be our legacy. People come to our stage in their careers and don’t even have this blip. They recognise early what it is, that there is support in place and not have to think it’s the end of their careers.”

“And what a win that would be — all of these women 20 or 30 years into their careers, staying in the business and moving into a leadership role. With all of that empathy and awareness.”

What’s Next for Louise?

After starting HRT, Louise got her confidence back and applied for the Deputy Chair of the Specialist in Land Condition (SiLC) Professional and Technical Panel. She got it!
“SiLC has been around for more than 20 years, but it's historically championed by a lot of senior men in our industry. So when I joined, the current incumbent and I decided we wanted to work hard to increase diversity within SiLC.

“We now have an EDI subcommittee who look at ways to improve diversity within our network, increase membership and demonstrate more value of being a SiLC.”

Interested to learn more about opportunities for female Engineers in the UK? Contact our teamof specialists at Alexander Associates and we’ll connect you with the industry’s best engineering roles. For more inspiring stories on women in engineering, read our articles https://www.alexander-assoc.co.uk/women-in-engineering.

Danny Clarke is the Commercial Director of the National Federation of Builders (NFB) and he speaks with our very own Ruth Parker about how to inspire change and the importance of Equity, Diversity & Inclusivity (EDI or ED&I) in the workplace and, specifically, in the construction industry.

Danny is a Diversity Champion within the construction industry and his knowledge is insightful and unique.

What Does It Mean to Be a Diversity Champion?

To be a champion means more than just ambassadorship; it means that you walk the walk and talk the talk because it is a mindset and integral to you as a person. It means that you provide a safe space: someone that others can trust to talk with about any concerns. Above all, a champion makes sure that people:

·        Have a voice
·        Have the space and confidence to speak
·        Know they don’t need permission to speak
·        Feel valued
·        In the room are listening
·        Are being heard.

Read on for a thought-provoking discussion about EDI in construction and the workplace.

Three Concentrated Areas of Diversity

Danny concentrates on three areas of diversity:
·        Women in Construction and Engineering
·        What diversity looks like
·        The different facts of diversity

In Danny’s experience, organisations and job seekers often think recruiters are motivated to present a candidate because of their personal demographics or characteristics.

“In my view, this is a misconception. In actuality, a candidate is recruited for their skills, experience, and knowledge and who happens to also have diverse characteristics. In other words, it’s the competency as well as the characteristics combined that make the diverse candidate who thinks differently to achieve the same goals.
Thinking differently about diversity is the only way we are going to generate innovation and promote creativity”

What Made You Realise That We Need Diversity in Construction?

“When it has always been men as the norm, it can sometimes be a leap to think, we need diversity here.”

When Danny started at NFB, he set up a women in construction networking group, and soon uncovered some harrowing stories from females in the wider industry. Some of the things women deal with in construction are harrowing, but they don’t often get the opportunity to speak up within their organisations. Within a networking group we create that opportunity, and only when we hear their stories, can we create the possibility for change.

When Does Talking Need to Stop and Action Need to Start?

There are too many group forums, working groups and subcommittees who are just talking. Danny shares the analogy of the bandwagon and ‘International Women’s Day’, which consists of

“Let’s do a social post, pull out the token female who works in the organisation again for her annual outing, and put a poster on the wall so we can say look how good we’re doing. We’re doing great things.”

The most important thing he noticed was there is so much talk and inaction. Now is the time for action.

The Construction Industry Is in Crisis

We are going through a massive skill shortage, and Brexit has also had an an impact – the number of engineers and others leaving the industry for care and parental responsibilities (both male and female) is astronomical. So encouraging the industry to review and revise how we look at and do things is crucial.
The amount of workers leaving the industry are more than those entering it. We need to recruit an additional 45,000 people into the industry every year for the next 5 years so we can grow. You wouldn’t be wrong to say that withouth changes to recruitment and retention construction is going to continue to be a challenging industry.

What can we do to create change?

We need to enable choice from as wide a talent pool as possible – that’s what recruitment agencies are trying to do, but too often get resistance to perfectly good candidates that don’t have the ‘look’, therefore they don’t ‘fit’.
Companies, with the help of organisations like NFB, can raise people’s voices, and provide mentoring, master classes, training programmes, networks and community groups that bring people together, to make people feel they are not on their own but are a part of something. This isn’t a concept just for women. It should be for everyone equally.

The whole point of inclusion is that you take everyone with you on the journey, so that you don’t have anyone feeling segregated. The more we do that, the more we are going to get the negative behaviours out of the industry.

Are You Concerned About Those Who Abuse ED&I as a TickBox Exercise?

Yes, there are those who have the conversation about ED&I and then don’t do anything with it, except to tick the box. They may want change but aren’t actually ready for the change.

I am often approached to discuss implementing an EDI programme for an organisation. However, when asked to explore what they want to get from it, they aren’t sure what that looks like for them. My advice is to know what you hope to achieve before trying to roll out an EDI programme, otherwise, you are setting yourself up for failure.

He says the answer should include “Because it is the right thing to do. If it doesn’t include this, then they might be missing the point.”

It should never be a tickbox exercise to ‘keep up with the Jones’, a PR stunt, a poster on the wall or talk about ratios. These reasons drive the wrong behaviours, set the organisation up for failure and allow them to say “Well, we tried.”

If an organisation doesn’t have its heart and soul in an EDI programme, they should pause. If it’s not the right thing to do, then don’t do it at all, because it will set the industry’s initiative back even further.

The Good Work Being Achieved

There are groups, councils and panels doing something about EDI from a ‘women in construction’ perspective, not just talking about it. Danny sits on several of these groups where some have the overriding rhetoric, ‘there are not enough women in the industry.’

This sends out the wrong message that the women in the industry aren’t enough, or that the work they do isn’t enough. We have great women in engineering and construction.

But the right message to send out to women is we need more great women who are great at their jobs.

The Top 100 Awards

That is why NFB launched the 100 Most Influential Women in Construction Awards. Women were nominated for their skill sets, great behaviours, accomplishments, and more. These women provide inspiration for others to follow them on their journeys.

The Top 100 Legacy Programme

The Legacy Programme offers mentoring, masterclasses, monthly peer groups and fully funded ILM training. Last year, NFB ran a masterclass on Finding Your Voice in the room, physically and face-to-face, and online. The point is that you do not need permission to speak up.
 
Mentoring and Promoting EDI in Construction

People often ask Danny why men should be talking about EDI in the industry? His answer is “For the same reason women should be talking about it, it is important for the workforce. It isn’t enough for a they/them attitude – look at it as ‘us’ – what are we doing in the industry? How do we fix it?”

NFB offers mentoring and training for organisations and individuals to challenge their current mindsets and learn strategies for success and inclusion in the workplace.

Summary

Our team, at Alexander Associates, agree that ED&I is the only way to strengthen the workplace and to ensure a successful tomorrow. With the world in flux, we need to go forward with the right strategies to safeguard against instability in the global market and inspire change, and we do this because it is the right thing to do.

Check out our blog series #ShesAnEngineer and contact us today to speak with our specialists in recruitment consultancy in construction and engineering. We will share our core values and how we implement ED&I in our services for you.

Name: Lisa Abbott
Job Title: Pre-Construction Director
Location: Birmingham

We're delighted to have worked with Lisa Abbott, who has enjoyed a successsful career in the construction industry, and now holds a senior role working for BAM Construction. 

Here's her story:

When did you realise that a career in engineering was right for you? Was there a particular moment in your life?

When I was studying A Levels, I wanted to do something that continued with the maths and sciences I was studying but wanted to do a vocational course at university – rather than studying an academic subject for another 3 or 4 years and still not knowing what career I was going to follow.

After looking through the big book of careers (no Google in those days!) I was interested in Engineering and Quantity Surveying, so I organised a work experience placement at Wimpey Construction in the surveying department – and I loved it! Looking back this was mainly because of the people I worked with, and this is still true today – construction is all about the teams and people we work with.

What does an average day look like for you?

Is it a cliché to say there isn’t an average day? My career has been through a number of iterations to get from quantity survey to preconstruction, but none of them have involved an ‘average day’. Its all about interacting with teams, both internal and external, and developing solutions to the challenges we face on projects and as an industry. Although there can be a theme to the challenges, each project and client is individual and has individual needs.

How did you get into this career? What qualifications did you get?
I went to university to study a degree in Quantity Surveying, and quickly followed that with gaining my MRICS status. After about 10 years in the industry I did an MSc in Construction Project Management, and that was invaluable.

Did you face any challenges with your career decision as a woman engineer?
My parents were unimpressed with my choice, and it was hard going off to university and taking that big step of independence under a bit of a cloud. And when I look back at those early career years, I can see how hard I had to work to integrate with project teams and prove myself as a woman in construction. Although women are still very under-represented in construction and engineering now, I hope their experiences are better now men are used to working with us and appreciate that we are as good as our male counterparts.
 
What advice would you give to young girls considering a career in engineering?
Go for it, it’s a brilliant industry! The opportunities and variety are amazing, and construction needs you. We need a more diverse industry to represent the communities and clients we work for. Our industry transforms communities, all our projects make a difference and if we don’t have diverse teams that understand the stakeholders we work with, how can we deliver long term sustainable solutions.
 
Do you have any standout memories/funny/interesting stories from your career as an engineer?
Visiting the billion-dollar replacement Oakland Bay Bridge project in San Francisco as part of my MSc course was amazing. The scale of engineering to put foundations in San Francisco Bay and off site manufacturing of precast bridge sections was beyond anything else I’ve ever seen, and makes you realise the extreme challenges that engineers can solve.

Ruth talks to Emily Owen, an Associate Hydrologist for SLR Consulting, who shares her career path, and the experiences she has as a woman working in engineering.

In this video, Ruth meets Chelvi Nava, a renowned engineer and writer, and an advocate for encouraging young people into the world of engineering.