We're Supporting International Women in Engineering Day
Today we are pleased to be celebrating International Women in Engineering Day which is organised by the Women’s Engineering Society and will once again be promoting the amazing work that women engineers across the globe are doing. This year’s theme is TogetherWeEngineer. The day also provides an important opportunity to raise the profile of women engineers and highlight the career opportunities available.
Supporting women in engineering is integral to our STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) programme. Through activities and work experience we give young people the practical skills, knowledge and experiences to help them understand the opportunities available to progress into science and engineering careers.
This programme of supporting STEM learning starts with early learners at primary school age and continues right through to supporting students at schools, colleges and universities. We regularly provide engineering work experience and have recently also set up the Carol Patton Engineering Scholarship enabling a college student from Redcar and Cleveland College to gain invaluable engineering work experience. We are proud that through our programmes we have supported and guided women who are now progressing in engineering careers.
We support Women in Engineering, not just today, but every day.
To support INWED today, here is some advice for women thinking of a career in engineering from people here, either working directly in engineering, or in roles engaging with our engineers:
Denise Atkins, Head of Engineering (Asset Management)
What advice would you give to a women thinking of starting a career in engineering? –
Never give up on your dreams or goals. You will face challenges along the way. Never give up, continue to climb, move, or break those barriers. The rewards you'll receive are immeasurable.
Catherine Fennell, Group Leader
What advice would you give to a women thinking of starting a career in engineering? –
There are lots of reason why a career in engineering is right for women. Employers want female engineers, you’ll make a difference to the world we live in, you get to be creative, there are lots of career opportunities and it is well paid. I personally have had 30 plus wonderful years working on bringing enhanced products to market, solving process problems and seeing how technology is changing the way we work and live. My advice, try it out, and before you know it you’ll have an interesting, rewarding career with no boundaries.
Lucy Smith, Commercial Director
What advice would you give to a women thinking of starting a career in engineering? –
The careers on offer across the Foundation Industries are varied and exciting. As we move closer to 2050, there are still many challenges that we need to overcome, and these are all excellent opportunities to put your skills to work. My main advice would be to take as many opportunities as possible to learn new skills, even if at first it doesn't seem to directly fit with your career plans. If you had told me during my undergraduate that I would one day be a Commercial Director, I would have laughed, but my background allows me to bring additional skills to this role.
Melissa Bevington, HR Director and passionate recruiter of female engineers!
What advice would you give to a women thinking of starting a career in engineering? –
Go for it, engineering needs you. Engineering is one of the most exciting, creative, and impactful careers you can choose. It’s about solving real-world problems, making things better, and turning ideas into reality.
Seek out experiences, whether it's work experience, STEM clubs, or projects that stretch your thinking. Look for positive role models, people who inspire you, who reflect what you aspire to be. So follow engineers on social media, watch documentaries, attend talks, join networks. Surround yourself with stories of women breaking ground in the field.
Whether you're interested in sustainability, space exploration, healthcare, or digital technology, there is a place for you in engineering. Be bold. Be unapologetically ambitious, and most importantly, be yourself, you belong in engineering just as much as anyone else.
Terry Walsh, CEO
What advice would you give to a women thinking of starting a career in engineering? –
At MPI we are actively pushing to promote what we do to a wider audience. One measure of our success this year is that we have 7 young people joining us this summer for work experience and 5 of them are Young Women and engineering is one of the areas we are promoting.
We need more women in engineering and if you have an interest, reach out to us and we would love to have you on our journey.
23 June 2025
