Amy Jones is an Apprentice Engineer at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL). She shares her reasons for entering the sector and the importance of raising awareness of women in engineering.
What inspired you to do engineering?
My inspiration is my great-grandfather, who was a toolmaker during the Second World War, and my grandad, who was an electrical fault finder. Their passion for engineering is what sparked my curiosity in engineering, and has also helped me to get to where I am now in my career. It was important to me that I kept engineering in the family.
Why did you want to work at NPL?
I wanted to mix my passion for engineering with my passion to help make a difference in the world. Being part of the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) engineering services team was a dream to me, as it enabled me to contribute to the ground-breaking research and innovative work NPL does.
What do you do day-to-day?
Currently, I am completing a practical part of my apprenticeship, which allows me to be in the engineering workshop and learn through supporting current science experiments. I am developing my skills in manual milling and late machines, which are commonly used in engineering.
What is it like being a female engineer and why is it important to raise awareness of women engineers?
To me, being a female engineer is quite an achievement. Being able to work well alongside so many qualified engineers inspires me to want to be the best I can be.
There are no gender barriers or limitations at NPL, as engineering employees are recognised by the quality of their work mainly, as well as the speed in which a job can be accurately completed.
Due to the shortage of women in STEM careers, raising awareness of female engineers is an important task. The ratio of male to female engineers is significant, and I find this difficult to comprehend, as gender-specific roles have been diminishing over time. But it seems engineering is still a vastly male-dominated sector.
One of the best ways to highlight that engineering is applicable to both genders is through awareness campaigns like the International Women in Engineering Day and the Year of Engineering. These inspire women to step forward into the world of engineering, as well as support the movement of breaking down the gender division barriers in industry.
2018 is the Year of Engineering
A career in engineering is exciting, rewarding and creative and yet there is a big shortage of engineers entering the workforce. The Year of Engineering aims to inspire the next generation and show young people what a career in engineering is actually like.