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Howden’s Women in Engineering

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Howden’s Women in Engineering

 

As of 2020, women make up 14.5% of all engineers in the UK, a figure that the industry is trying to raise. While the ratio of female engineers is higher in some other countries, the global average is still low.

At Howden, we strive to employ the most capable and knowledgeable experts in their fields, while also accurately representing the wider world through our employees. We know that many female engineering graduates never take up roles in the profession or end up leaving the industry. We aim to support our female colleagues and give them every opportunity for success and progression. And from this year, 50% of our apprentices and graduates across all roles will be female.

For International Women in Engineering Day, we have spoken to some of our colleagues about their experiences as engineers at Howden.

Women engineers make up an important percentage of Howden's workforce Join them today

Article Date

Tuesday, 21 June 2022

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Customer Support Engineer

Kellie McGrevey

Kellie McGrevey

 

I think it’s important to provide mentorship and role models in the industry, and to give early education to girls who are interested in engineering. We need to let them know it’s a career that is fully open to them. And I think to keep women in the field, flexible working for women and families is really important. Companies like Howden are already doing this, and providing a refreshing culture with no stigma or bias. With that support, there’s no reason women can’t thrive as engineers.

 

Product Manager

Svitlana Snelder

 

Svitlana Snelder

 

My mother is an engineer so it felt very natural for me to follow a similar career path when I was interested in maths and chemistry. And at my university, around 40% of my engineering peers were female, so it didn’t feel like we were the minority. I think the important thing is to ensure that we change the perception that engineering is male-dominated by increasing representation, especially by educating girls about available opportunities at a younger age. And flexibility from employers is key, which is one of the great benefits of working at Howden.

 

R&D Engineer

Marije Oosterlaak

 

Marije

 

I believe that anyone who is interested in learning or understanding about engineering subjects should feel like they can pursue a career in engineering. Personally, I can imagine that for younger women it could be a barrier or maybe a less obvious choice, because for example they don’t have a lot of (practical) experience with technical subjects yet. However, I believe that you don’t need any practical experience at all before starting with your study in engineering or other STEM subjects. Personally, I haven’t experienced any challenges or barriers as a female engineer, which hopefully is a sign of progress, and it certainly feels very equal at Howden.

If you would like to submit an enquiry please get in touch.