Erin is a third-year Electrical Engineering Apprentice at Mazak, where she specialises in the CV5-500 machine line. From a young age, Erin knew that engineering was her true calling. While other kids were into trends and toys, Erin found herself captivated by model kits, electrical circuits, and carpentry classes. She asked for tools, not make-up, and found joy in building and problem-solving. Her passion for hands-on work and engineering talent were evident early on—she won first place in the national ‘Who Wants to Be an Engineer?’ competition while still in Year 11.

Fast forward to today, and Erin is flourishing in her apprenticeship, handling electrical assembly, calibration, and safety checks on complex machines, while also contributing to local charity initiatives, raising nearly £2,000 over the past year. As an apprentice ambassador, she champions STEM, participating in career fairs and hosting factory tours. Recently named a finalist for IET Young Woman Engineer of the Year 2024, Erin is inspiring the next generation of engineers.

Today, we explore her journey and how choosing the non-traditional university route has allowed her to gain valuable hands-on experience.

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

I have long known that I wanted to follow in my grandfather’s footsteps into a career in engineering. As a child I loved model and electrical circuit building kits. I asked for tool kits and a soldering iron whilst friends were asking for clothes and make-up, and I went to carpentry classes whilst others played sports. During year 11, I even won first place after entering the national competition ‘Who wants to be an engineer?’. Therefore, the question for me was never about what I wanted to study, but how.

What does an average day look like for you?

As an electrical apprentice at Mazak, I spend my day-to-day work life out on the factory floor. Now that I am in my third year, I am just working in one area, the CV5-500 machine line. My job is to electrically assemble and adjust the machine so that it works correctly and is safe to operate. I am also still working towards my qualification, so I spend a couple of hours each week working on written work, and I hope to finish my apprenticeship by August.

As an active member of our apprentice charity committee, I assist with the organisation and running of all our projects. Over the last year we have runover a dozen successful events, raising almost £2,000 in total in aid of various local charities.

Part of being a Mazak apprentice is being an apprentice ambassador. I believe that STEM outreach events are so beneficial to the community because they help young people know what they want to do as their career. However, they are also beneficial to my own personal growth as I am naturally a very shy person, and they have helped me leave my comfort zone. Through Mazak, I have had the opportunity to attend numerous career fairs, give many presentations, and many in-house events too (mostly factory tours). This year, I helped with at least 1 event every fortnight.

How did you get into this career? What qualifications did you get?

Whilst in Year 10, a local engineering company contacted my school to offer a small number of cadetship placements. I immediately submitted my application and was lucky enough to be selected onto the programme where I received firsthand experience of what it would be like to be one of their employees. I found being totally immersed into the world of work totally mind blowing. Exchanging one uniform for another, the sense of pride I experienced in my new, albeit temporary, role was totally unexpected. My new colleagues treated me with respect and willingly demonstrated their skills. When the time came, I left saddened but hopeful that one day I would be given an opportunity to return.

After completing my exams, as a very able student leaving school, I could have easily opted to follow my peers along the well-travelled route through a university degree. However, as I have always found practical learning opportunities to be more enjoyable, engaging and beneficial, the apprenticeship route seemed much more suited to my preferred learning style and therefore so much more appealing. Additionally, my awareness that many graduates leave university with no guarantee of work in their chosen field and huge student debts, was also influential in my decision-making process. It made financial sense to me to earn a wage whilst training alongside experts, guaranteeing my resulting qualifications and experience would be relevant and marketable when my course finished.

Upon discovering that the company I had attended for my cadetship offered a comprehensive and well renowned electrical engineering apprenticeship programme, my mind was made up. I applied, and following an intensely competitive application process, I was successfully offered the role. I am now in my third year and am thrilled about my progress so far. Choosing an apprenticeship has proven to be the best decision that I could have made.

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

Going from a school environment where there are many other young women around to an environment where there were hardly any was initially quite daunting. However, Mazak staff made me feel welcome and the workplace didn’t feel so intimidating any more.

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

My first piece of advice would be to talk to your career’s advisors about work experience opportunities, as they can often help you to find companies that you would be well suited to working for in the future. This both gives you relevant workplace experience, but also makes your applications stand out when applying for jobs/apprenticeships. I would also go to as many open events and career fairs that you can, as this well help you find the job that you want to do in the future. Yamazaki Mazak will be holding a woman in engineering event on the 11th of December, where the goal is to get more young women into engineering and is open to everyone.

I would also highly recommend an apprenticeship instead of going down the university path. This means that you can earn whilst you earn, gain relevant industry experience, meet likeminded people, and get a head start into your career. If this is something that sounds appealing, an apprenticeship would be perfect for you. One thing to remember is to apply earlier rather than later, as lots of companies will close their job adverts once they have enough applicants. Another thing to consider is not only applying directly to a company, use a service that will help you find the right apprenticeship for you. For example, Hereford and Worcestershire Group Training Association will send your CV to as many companies as they can and will help prepare you for life as an apprentice.

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

My company, Yamazaki Mazak UK ltd, holds an open house every year for existing and potential customers and they all receive a factory tour during their visit. It is apprentices that give these tours. It was one of my last tours of the week, having given around 7 by this point, I was then given a small group of 3 people, an engineer, his daughter, and an apprentice. This was one of my most enjoyable tours and it ended up taking over 2 hours, instead of the usual 1.5 hours, because they were so keen and asking so many questions about Mazak and my experience as an apprentice.

In April, I was given the opportunity to represent my company at the MACH show in Birmingham and give tours to schools that were visiting. As I was conducting one of these tours, I heard my name being shouted from across the hall and I looked around but didn’t see someone from my company. Instead, I saw the people that I toured around Mazak during the open house. I felt honoured that they remembered me from an event many months ago, but that they also wanted to reconnect. Thank you to Metal Seagulls Ltd for this experience.

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.

 

 

Name: Kate Bullen
Job Title: Asset Commissioning Manager at Wessex Water

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

I was given my first Mecano set by my parents when I was 4, along with a Lego train set – both of which I still have. I have been taking things apart my whole life to find out how they work (much to my parents dismay in my earlier years), and I’ve always been fascinated by the how’s and why’s of life.


What does an average day look like for you?

After spending 20 years as an Engineer I now manage a team of 20 Engineers, Technicians and Graduates. A lot of my life now is spent on my laptop and in meetings, but everyday I am involved in technical discussions with either a member of my team, or someone in the wider business


How did you get into this career? 

What qualifications did you get? I have A levels in Maths, Physics and Chemistry, and went on to Leeds University to study Environmental Chemistry. I became interested in water, and so chose to go to Birmingham University to complete a Masters in Water Resources. During that time I became fascinated by sewage treatment, and all the physical, chemical and biological processes involved. From there I was very lucky to be offered a position as a process engineer with Bechtel Water, who were working for United Utilities (or North West Water as they were at the time).


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

I faced a huge amount of discrimination as a female working on construction sites on sewage works, but never over my choice of careers.


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

I believe the most important point is to not consider your gender when deciding what career you would like to go into. If Engineering fascinates you, and it’s a career you would like to pursue, then just go for it. Everyone brings their own perspective to the job they do, and it’s only by having a broad range of people in a team that the team can be complete.


Do you have any standout memories/funny/interesting stories from your career as an engineer?

As a young graduate I managed to get a whole construction site to stop working as I walked across it – women were rarely seen on sites in the mid ‘90’s. I also remember the time that someone can into the site cabins and asked for the site manager as he needed an induction. I said that I could do it and he looked very unsure, so I passed him onto the site manager, who promptly bought him back into my office so I could do the induction. He did apologise! 

As a senior leader within SLR Consulting, Louise has enjoyed a successful career in a highly technical field and is now a champion of women in the workplace, in both early-stage career, and later in life when other challenges present themselves! 

 

Pamela is Key Account Portfolio Director for ISS Technical Services and oversees a broad range of services supplied mainly to the UK banking sector. After starting her career as an apprentice, she proved herself ‘on the tools’ working predominantly in a male-dominated environment as a hands-on engineer. 

 

Kat Parsons is the Head of Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging UK and Ireland at ISS Facility Services, a position earned after a successful, and hard-won engineering career.

But perhaps, more specifically, from the experiences and lessons she collected while travelling this path. One not unfamiliar to many female engineers. In this blog, we learn more about what she has overcome to get to where she is today as a woman in engineering.
 

What Was the Spark that Lit Kat’s Engineering Bug?

When Kat began looking at her university study options, she tried to find something that sparked her academic interests while being connected to her desire to have an active career. 

“As I was having a flick through the prospectus, I saw an image of a consultant taking water samples. I was like, that’s me!”

She enrolled at Lancaster University to study Environmental Science: a nice mix of all her interests. 

During her studies, Kat did a couple of work placements to gain some experience. She used this time to refine the vision she held for her career, or as she put it, apply a “temperature check”. On a 6-week placement with an Environmental Consultancy, Kat thought, “I really see myself here – hard hats, overalls on. This is what I want to do.”
 

The Work Begins

After graduating, much of Kat’s work focussed on flood risk. But when her role started to touch on work with contaminated land, she got excited. At this point, Kat joined a bigger firm and moved into Project Management in land contamination. "I was in the field, five days a week. I realised that this was the work I really enjoyed, that ‘logistical, last minute, quick we need someone’ work.” 

What became apparent was that she was more valuable in the office, working on the backend of site management, so she embarked on a route that would see her attempt to ascend the company ladder, one that she had to work hard to climb!
 

Challenges of the Climb

Kat managed to move from her graduate status to a more senior position quickly, citing her logistics and project management skills as having supported her progression.
Over the course of 10 years, Kat reached what she describes as a plateau, trapped in middle management with no clear sign that she would get to where she wanted to despite demonstrating her worth over and over. 
 

Goals and Visible Role Models?

When considering goals and role models, Kat acknowledges that “It was quite tricky. Female engineers already in the business were very technical, but I was more of an all-rounder. It almost felt like my skill set was holding me back because I wasn’t ticking the technical box. Men with fewer skills would always get promoted ahead of me, which was quite frustrating.”
 

Coping With Gender Inequality

Kat admits that she opted to get tough to match the nature of the male-dominated sector, reflecting that she went to great lengths to demonstrate her capabilities above and beyond what was expected of others. Kat realised she would need to move on to find the promotion she deserved. 
 

Fighting for Equal Pay

When we raised the topic of equal pay, Kat faced this issue a lot.“Whispers of what people were being paid versus what I was being paid. That was always pretty tough.”
To ensure she’s being equally paid for her skillset, it’s one of the first things she looks into—an unfortunate reality for women in engineering and a product of being a victim of pay inequality.  

Kat eventually moved and embarked on a different career path, feeling she got pushed to make the decision by the limitations of her Engineering career. “I reflected on my career and realised I wasn’t happy. I was very stressed, and my work-life balance was horrendous, so I decided to change industry completely and move into Facilities Management.”
 

Appealing Factors

Kat entered Facilities Management in a Health and Safety role. She knew nothing about the industry but found space she enjoyed. 

As part of this new role, Kat worked on some health-focused projects, including her acclaimed project on Menopause. “That got picked up and I was asked to be the Head of Diversity and Equality for the UK and Ireland. A position I originally said no to! I thought I couldn’t do that. This new role required empathy that I thought I didn’t have. With some self-reflection, I realised I had bucketloads of empathy. I knew I could make a real difference.” 
 

Dismantling an Ingrained Culture 

Discussing that much needs to be done to change how companies support their people, Kat notes, “It’s very much cultural. Working on construction sites, it was either men swearing their heads off or refusing to swear in front of me. Either way, I would do something to fit in.

It was difficult at the time, but I think it’s quite a skill to adapt how you talk to a group of people. Going onto a site, my whole demeanour would change. In the first few minutes, I knew I needed to say something to prove I wasn’t a feeble woman. Something to prove I deserved to be there.”
 

Has it Changed?

“I always remember the toilets being horrendous. A surveyor I talked to last week said she doesn't drink from when she gets up to the end of her shift so that she doesn’t have to use the facilities. Essentially, women’s basic needs are still not being met."

On the flip side of that, a company Kat worked for implemented a Menopause policy, which is new and fantastic for the business and the women who come after her. Women in senior positions leave the industry because they’re not getting the support they need to deal with the anxiety, stress, and depression associated with fluctuating hormones.

Honest Reflection

So, what does Kat think about the industry as a whole?

“Looking back on my career in Construction and Engineering, I remember the good bits. I absolutely loved it! I got to see parts of the country I never would’ve seen. I met thousands and thousands of people. I wouldn’t change it. Yes, it was hard, but I think that’s made me who I am today.”
 
Women are a force of nature in the engineering world, and if you want to find more opportunities here then speaking to the teamat Alexander Associates could be the best thing that you do for your career.

Emily Owen is a Hydrologist with an Environmental Consultancy. Her focus is flood risk assessment work and surface water drainage design, many of which support planning applications, whilst some involve retrofitting for insurance purposes. With an appetite for acquiring new talents and diversifying her skill set, she has been developing her water management portfolio. Recently, she moved into mine water management and water resource modelling.

“Water management is as it sounds – in terms of a site, water comes in and out. If you get it wrong, you get flooded or run out of water – particularly at sites with high water use. Mine sites need to look at water use in depth. A lot of the time, they're in water-poor regions but use a huge amount of water. Water use now feeds into the ESG journey. Mining is probably one of the earliest industries to adopt ESG from a functionality and future-forward perspective.”

This work started for Emily at the very technical end, doing things like water balance modelling and looking at how water moved through mining systems and processes. Now, Emily is moving into water security and more sustainable water use.
 

The Engineering Idea? 

Emily felt almost felt like engineering was not a choice, but where her studies and interests were always going to take her.

“Going into A-levels, I still loved physical Geography. I was getting frustrated by the end of A2 with Geography being a bit wishy-washy. I wanted to do the sciences behind it. I felt like I should be able to apply what I was doing in the other sciences to my Geography work. So I went and studied Science as an undergraduate. From there, the water element really interested me, so I did a Master’s in Hydrology and Water Resource Management within the Engineering department at Imperial. This brought me into the Engineering world and was probably the point that I realised that what I was doing was actually Engineering.”
 

Women Represented in Study

“I went to Durham for my Undergraduate course, which was probably male-dominated because it sat inside that traditional field of study like Geology. I went on an exchange for my second year. When I returned, I was free to do what I wanted because I wasn’t enrolled in a traditional course. You definitely got changes in the gender mix depending on which modules you took. The more environmental courses tended to draw in more women. Maybe because they're newer, less rigid and are constantly evolving.”
During her Masters, Emily reflects that females and multinationals predominantly represented the group and affirms that her overall study experience was positive. She felt well supported by other aspiring female Engineers throughout her studies.
 

Female Role Models and Representation

When discussing the outward-facing persona of a business and what people – particularly women or those from a diverse group – want to see reflected back at them, Emily agrees it’s not a board or interviewing panel of white middle-class men.
Reflecting on her personal experience with female Engineers and access to senior women or mentors in the industry, Emily shares that shehad a lot of strong male managers, but they’ve always been very comfortable with telling her to seek advice and support from other women where possible so that’s helpful.

“As our company has grown, we have more women in the office, which has helped to bring in more women. Having these female contacts on the bad days and having someone you can talk to is important. Sometimes you don't know if it's a discrimination thing or just a life thing. When you're the only person who meets the female criteria, you don't know the difference. Sometimes you just want to call someone up to cross-check it.”
 

Personal Experiences with Discrimination

“I’ve definitely had moments when I thought I’ve been discriminated against, but I do’'t know that’s been a clear-cut case. Some personality traits that have naturally been encouraged in me have made it difficult to tell. I will always offer somebody a cup of tea or coffee when they arrive somewhere because that’s what I'vebeen brought up to do. But then I found that I was always being asked to make the cups of tea even when I had a male colleague of equal status sitting next to me.”

Was Speaking Up an Option?

“Sometimes I would speak up, but that often made it worse because it made people feel defensive. I reached a point where I spoke to someone in the office and told them how it made me feel. They intercepted the requests and offered to make the drinks.” 
Emily struggles to determine whether the issue was gender or personality based as it was clouded by the circumstance she had always offered in the past. Nonetheless, the request was always directed at her. 

“It's a difficult one because we had no admin support. The truth is that 90% of admin staff are women. So, when you’re the young female in a room, the assumption is that you’ll make the tea. It was something that when I was more junior would really get me going.”
 

What can Schools in the UK do Better to Encourage People into Engineering or Other Expansive Careers?

“Encourage students to go out and look for things they haven’t thought of. There's a lot of information out there. Almost every profession in the UK has an institution that goes with it. They would love to do more with young professionals and students, but the gap between them is quite difficult. They can’t force themselves into a school environment, so maybe the solution is encouraging the interested kids to speak to these groups.”
 

What’s the Biggest Misconception About Engineering? 

The practical misconception

“I think it’s what’s included in engineering. My preconceptions were people sat doing calculations and tapping away at a computer all day. But obviously, the job relates to so many other things. Particularly for graduates. A large proportion of it is site work where you’re out and about interacting with people. I don't think people realise this is a huge part of being an engineer.”

The gender misconception 

“Some of the worst discrimination I’ve faced was while collecting bore water samples. A farmer approached me and asked, “What do you think you're doing young lady?” That phrasing, while quite common, makes you feel like you are five years old with your hair in pigtails. I’m obviously collecting a water sample, doing my engineering role, but there’s this whole misconception that you’re doing something you shouldn’t be doing because you’re a woman.”

When asked whether Emily felt this was a public misconception or if she felt the sentiment is echoed on site too, she shares, “I think you are treated differently some of the time. Partly because it’s a bit more unusual, and they don’t know how to interact with you. But I think some of it is a lack of provision for ladies coming to the site.”
Aside from less-than-ideal facilities, the provision of female-sized safety gear on site has also been an issue historically. According to Emily, this is getting much better. However, things often need to be made to order to accommodate the many variations of the female form.

There can often be a lag time of up to six weeks between placing an order and it arriving. These delays prevent female graduates from being able to get onto site as soon as they hit the workplace, limiting their real-world exposure in the initial stages of their careers. Ill-fitting gear makes it difficult to carry out your work comfortably but also lines you up to be the butt of someone’s joke. And whilst Emily acknowledges that humour and taking the mickey is effectively the love language on a site, it can also make the person on the receiving end feel a bit awkward, especially if this person is a young female graduate.
 
Finding the Right Opportunity

Women can make waves in engineering, and with strong women at the forefront of change, it’s important to know where to find the right opportunities. With the help of our team, you can find your next engineering role that’ll make you feel included and supported. Contact us today and learn more!

Danny is a true diversity champion, and a firm believer in supporting others to achieve their full potential in life. Having worked within healthcare and infrastructure businesses, he’s now in a senior leadership role for a well-regarded trade body, giving him a unique insight into the way organisations operate. 

 

Name: Pamela Hardie
Job Title: Key Account Portfolio Director
Location: Based in Edinburgh covering the UK

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

Once I had successfully achieved my apprenticeship, I knew I wanted to remain in the industry and have a successful career in engineering. I felt because I had come so far, I owed to myself to continue.  
 
What does an average day look like for you?

Currently I am office/home based with occasional site visits and spending days with engineers. When I was a mobile engineer, we serviced commercial properties across the central belt of Scotland. Attending sites for planned preventive maintenance or reactive breakdown jobs.  I worked across multiple trades so could be maintaining, repairing, or installing AC or gas systems to more glamorous work of unblocking toilets. I enjoyed the interaction with the customers and surprising them when a female engineer arrived on site.
 
How did you get into this career? What qualifications did you get?

I knew I wanted to become an apprentice and not attend university however I fell into engineering as my brother had started an apprenticeship the year before, so I followed in his footsteps with encouragement from my father.

I achieved SVQ Level 1, 2 & 3 Heating & Ventilation in Service & Maintenance qualification from North Glasgow College. My company also paid for my driving lessons and test which I successfully passed first time and allocated me my first vehicle which was an Astra van.
 
Did you face any challenges with your career decision as a woman engineer?

I faced many challenges as the only woman on the tools in my company and on my college course. It was harder for me to fit in with the younger men I was attending college with and there were many times I had to share facilities such as changing rooms as they weren’t equipped for women. I also had to deal with being written off daily by the men I worked alongside and customers which isn’t easy at 17. As the saying goes, I had to work twice as hard as a man to be seen as half as good as one. I felt different and felt on some occasions I was treated differently certainly until they got to know me better and found out I was more than capable which I was determined to show everyone!
 
What advice would you give to young girls considering a career in engineering?

Go for it! The career opportunities and earning potential in this industry is massive and it doesn’t just stop at becoming an engineer. Do not doubt yourself or hold yourself back because of your gender because in reality this isn’t a factor in becoming a great engineer, manager or director. Let your work do the talking. I believe attitudes are now changing towards women in engineering and it is far more accepted and accessible than when I started. My granny laughed at me when I told her I was an engineer, I don’t think she believed me, although we still have work to do to promote this career for young women, I believe societal views are shifting.
 
Do you have any standout memories/funny/interesting stories from your career as an engineer?

I really enjoyed being an apprentice and working alongside many great men who have become lifelong friends and allies.