Skills
Engineering is an option for all
A female engineer with more than two decades’ experience and an apprentice, both employed by WSP/Parsons Brinckerhoff, have joined forces to urge women not to be put off by the fact that engineering is male dominated. The pair made their plea at the
National Women in Engineering Day. The qualified engineer is Karen
Evans, a technical director who graduated with a Civil Engineering Honours Degree 23 years ago, and has been in the industry ever since.. She said: “Engineering appealed
to me as I liked the idea of seeing something you design happen in the real world. At the time I entered the industry, the ratio of men to women was around 40:1. “I’d never worked in any other
job so I didn’t feel the effects of this, but as you work higher up the ranks it can feel more apparent and I guess it can make you a little ‘harder’. Strong women can sometimes be misinterpreted, but we have lots of different qualities to men and I think a healthy gender mix is important.
The other WSP engineer is
Rupinder Kooner, who joined the firm a year ago as an apprentice. She said: “I was aware that the industry I was looking to be involved in was mainly male dominated, and I did have mixed thoughts, but I decided not to be put off as I didn’t want to choose an alternative route – this is what I’d wanted to do for many years. In a way it made me more determined.” Each year, National Women in Engineering Day takes place to raise awareness of the career options available and encourage women into the industry, to address the national shortage of women in the industry, as well as a shortage of young people considering engineering as a career in general. Rupinder added: “If you are really
determined to be involved in the engineering industry and want to start a career in it, you should simply go for it. Don’t be put off that it is male dominated, as there are many different sectors in engineering and it’s not all the same.”
Sector Focus
Engineering not just a job for the boys: Rupinder (right) and Karen
September 2016 CHAMBERLINK 49
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