Beth - Assistant Engineering Technician
Today is Women in Engineering Day! This year celebrates the amazing work that women engineers around the world are doing, and not just to respond to the pandemic but also to support lives and livelihoods every day. Beth, Assistant Engineering Technician talks about her experience of being a young women in STEM.
All throughout secondary school my favourite subject was
design and technology. Partly because of the problem solving and hands on
content, but also partly due to a teacher who encouraged me as a young woman in
STEM.
I knew from a young age that I would pursue a career in
engineering, and I was fortunate enough to discover my true passion within the
industry as I started my A levels - bridges. I then steered my subjects in this
direction, where possible, to help me get my dream job. I wrote a dissertation
on how bridge technology has changed over the last century for my Extended
Project Qualification, and I designed a bridge for my school grounds for my DT
coursework. This made me well prepared for my interview at Devon County
Council.
I started with DCC in September 2019. Since then I have
completed my HNC in Civil and Coastal Engineering and have begun my Civil
Engineering degree at the University of Exeter. I am a registered Engineering
technician with the ICE and Engineering Council, an achievement I am incredibly
proud of.
In my last 2 and a half years in the Engineering Design
Group (EDG) I have developed my CAD skills, assisted my colleagues with various
different schemes, helped with several STEM events to promote civil
engineering, and designed a pedestrian footbridge in Exeter. I am also part of
the carbon reduction board, an incredibly important cause. Currently my main
scheme is the design of a new recycling centre in Tavistock, specifically all
of the reinforced concrete retaining walls.
The best part of my job is feeling like I have a positive
impact on the world. I see day to day how works I have been involved with are
improving the lives of those around me, and will for the next 100 years. A huge
benefit of being an engineer within the council is that we get to see projects
from conception through to construction. Seeing something you drew on paper
become a structure before your eyes is a strange yet fantastic feeling.
I am proud to represent women in STEM, and will continue to
do everything I can to encourage the younger generations to pursue engineering
in the future. It is an incredibly fulfilling feeling to attend STEM events; I
get to share my passions, and see so many young women not afraid to express
interest in STEM and ask question after question. It is so important to
encourage the younger generations, if my DT teacher hadn’t encouraged me I
wouldn't be writing this blog post for DCC today, or have my dream job.
Beth
Assistant Engineering Technician
Structures Design
Comments
Post a Comment