It’s international women in Engineering day! We’re proud to have fantastic female engineers on our team and this year we want to encourage more young women into engineering by putting the spotlight on one of our youngest women in Engineering Louise Naylor.
Lou has found her own route into engineering and is working as a junior technician on her level 3 Btech in Civils and Construction Engineering and we’re so pleased shes studying while working as part of our team!
When I was school and college there wasn’t any information about engineering as a career choice and it wasn’t something I knew anything about. After looking at the options, I decided to start a career in early years childcare and started working in a nursery when I was 18. A career in education was something I saw a lot of girls my age doing and because there was so little information about other careers, I decided I would take that route too.
I worked hard and so I made a good impression, but it wasn’t what I was passionate about and in terms of progression, I didn’t feel like I could have the kind of career I wanted in that industry. Luckily, I met up with Tyler Jones, we have known each other for a long time, and he knew I really wanted to have a job where I could keep building up my skills and with opportunities for the future. He suggested engineering and that’s how it all started!
One of the biggest challenges I found when I was starting out was people outside of the industry assuming engineering wasn’t a realistic career for a woman. When I was encouraged to join Struktura, it showed me that being a woman shouldn’t stop anyone taking a role in engineering and I would be joining a company that really supports women and their part in the future of the industry. My advice would be, look seriously at the details of a course in engineering and decide for yourself if it’s something you would enjoy and be willing to work hard for.
Date:
23rd June 2022
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At Struktura we work with local schools and communities to get the message out there, so hopefully we will see more women and girls getting into the industry and knowing that there are options available to them.
Yes! Engineering has been seen as an option only for men for a long time, but times have changed! Engineering for me, is about working on exciting projects that make a difference to people. The industry is so fast paced you’re getting experience and knowledge with new developments and technologies while you’re training. A career in engineering is one that you can make your own and keep building on your skills as you go.
One of the best parts of what we do is working on projects that make a difference to people and communities. It feels really good to work on a project and then see people enjoying it and having played a part in the future of those communities.
A Btech means I’m studying while I’m working it and it’s a really good way of getting my qualifications, I’m getting hands on experience everyday and I’m part of a team that is always willing to help me if I have questions. They’re also really good at offering me advice and tips on best working practices because they have so much experience in the industry. Some of my team have taken the same route to their qualification, this really helps me feel like I’ve always got someone to turn to and they understand the time I need for my studies and allow for that. Taking this route also means I’m building my own experience as I train, so when I get my qualifications, I will be in a great position because I have worked on so many different projects.
I love how every day is different when you’re working in engineering. The projects we work on mean that I could be working on a football stadium one day and a theatre the next and everything in between! I think one of the best parts of what we do is working on projects that make a difference to people and communities. It feels really good to work on a project and then see people enjoying it and having played a part in the future of those communities.
When I was encouraged to join Struktura it showed me that being a woman shouldn’t stop anyone taking a role in engineering and I would be joining a company that really supports women and their part in the future of the industry.
I think one of the big things that can be done is making sure there is information on engineering roles available in schools and colleges. I’m really happy to have found my role in engineering but I could have started sooner if I had known about the options. One of the great parts of working for Struktura is that they work with local schools and communities to get that message out there, so hopefully we will see more women and girls getting into the industry and knowing that there are options available to them.
Even though the Engineering sector has a higher percentage of men at the moment, that doesn’t have to be a negative, it’s all about the people you work with. The industry is changing and women are being noticed for their achievements. Find a company that values every member of the team and is behind you 100%. Marking celebrations like this one just shows that there are companies like Struktura that are really rooting for the future of female engineers and there are opportunities out there with the right companies. If you choose the right place to train, you’ll forget about any of the challenges you thought you would face, because everyone is part of the team and has their own role.
If you would like to find out more about career opportunities at Struktura, please contact the team on info@strukturaes.com
