It’s no secret that the engineering sector has traditionally seen more men than women climbing the ladder.
Despite this, science, technology, mathematics and engineering (STEM) industries have come a long way in encouraging and supporting women into historically ‘male’ education and career paths.
To celebrate this and mark this year’s International Women in Engineering Day (INWED, 23 June), we chatted with some of the industries’ trailblazers working at National Grid, all of whom either studied or are studying with the OU.
‘The benefit and opportunity of continual education’
Emma Berry
Emma Berry, Transformation Programme Manager at National Grid has had a range of different roles during her 15 years at the company, though she always knew she enjoyed leadership and using her skills to inspire and support others.
Emma chose to study a BA in Leadership and Management to help her widen her experience in this area, and found the ‘flexibility and transparency’ of the course useful:
“I chose this degree due to the wide variety of modules I could pick, which felt very applicable to my interests and the potential future I could have. I like working with people and wanted to move into leadership, rather than management in the future.”
Building transferable skills
Megan Holmes
For Megan Holmes, Construction Engineer in Customer Connections, her path was less clear, and she joined National Grid without a defined career in mind:
“After joining National Grid, I realised I really enjoyed the diverse aspect of my role and dealing with big projects on a daily basis.
“I came into my current role as a project manager when others around me were engineers by trade, so it has been a massive learning curve. The skills I learned through my degree helped me and brought a different perspective than a pure engineering background.”
While she originally attended a ‘brick’ university, Megan decided to begin studying Business Studies with the OU after receiving life-saving surgeries that required more flexibility to take long periods off. Although she now works as an engineer, she completed her studies while working in management at Sainsburys:
“I was studying part time and managing 60 colleagues – something I am very proud of!”
‘I want to be a part of trying to change the world for the better’
Nicolle Fieldsend-Roxborough
Across many areas of STEM there is a growing focus on the environment, something that resonates with Nicolle Fieldsend-Roxborough, a Technical Administrator at National Grid.
Nicolle decided to study Environmental Science with the OU and was transferred into a team that deals with the environment and safety to best make use of her knowledge:
“In my current team I am starting to get more involved with the environmental work, which is supporting with my degree.
“There are lots of resources from the OU such as the student support team, which I have nothing but good words to say about. They have been fantastic at answering any questions and concerns I have had as well as providing anything I have needed.”
Providing opportunities for development and progression
While having a huge range in experience, backgrounds and varying current roles, one thing all the women have in common is a strong drive to work for their future.
When asked what advice she’d give to others starting out in education or engineering, Emma said:
“My tip is to not seek feedback or praise from other people and just do the best you can do and be proud of yourself for trying. It is not about other people; it is about you! Take the time to recognise this yourself.”
Looking ahead, Megan also felt confident about her future in the industry:
“I believe I can go into any space – this is not different just because I’m a woman.”
Learn more about opportunities for women in National Grid.
