Wednesday the 23rd of June is the annual International Women In Engineering Day.
Founded in 2014 by the Women’s Engineering Society (WES), the day is an opportunity to celebrate women in engineering and related professions across the industry.
As an event, INWED has achieved global reach, allowing organisations to highlight the influence of women in engineering on every continent.
Women are still significantly under-represented in the predominantly male engineering workforce. Consequently, one of the key aims of the day is to help encourage young women to get into engineering careers.
At GEO-Instruments UK we are celebrating by speaking to some of the women in our team, hearing about their experiences in the industry and opinions on the event.
Larisa is a Monitoring Surveyor and Front Line Supervisor, her role involving a balance between on-site and office-based work. She has been with GEO-Instruments for 6 months as part of a team working on major London projects.
Larisa discusses her influences for getting into the industry:
“My mother is a Chartered Surveyor. Growing up I had her as inspiration. It felt natural for me to pursue a similar career. I found out quite late in my teen years that engineering and construction are male-dominated industries.”
On advice she would offer to women considering a career in the industry:
“My advice would be to always be prepared and open minded to learn new things. . . . Engineering is very complex and if you are open to learn, a lot of opportunities will come on the way.”
Mariana is a Monitoring Surveyor currently working on a key infrastructure project in central London.
She reflects on what drew her to engineering:
“I have always been fascinated by the idea of working in infrastructure projects that could impact people’s life and bring positive changes for society.
The great sense of accomplishment of completing a project confirms that I have made the right career decision.”
As one of many international team members in GEO-Instruments UK she brings valuable experience and insight to the team.
“Having recently arrived from Brazil, a country with more traditional social norms, I have been surprised that the construction industry in the UK remains heavily male dominated. . . . Despite this relative lack of diversity, I am pleased to say that I have been provided with the equal career opportunities to take on new challenges and to grow professionally.”
When asked about the importance of events like International Women In Engineering Day:
“Initiatives such as the IWED raise awareness and promote the benefits of having diversity at work. Therefore, the IWED supports equal careers opportunities for men and women.”
Diversity in all forms enriches the profession. The Keller family understands that the company and the industry as a whole has a huge amount to gain from the continued support and encouragement of women in engineering.
#INWED21