Engineering in one woman’s world

the engineering industry welcomes everyone. AR Engineering Industries was formed by my father 16 years ago. I joined AR after completing a Masters of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Surrey and was commissioned to design and implement a Quality Management System in order for the company to gain ISO 9001 approval.

On completion in 2009, I had planned to seek employment elsewhere, but with the recession taking its toll, the company was in a vulnerable position. I felt my job wasn't done. I believed that AR, armed with the ISO approval, had the potential to rebuild, grow and conquer the SME precision engineering market, and that I could be the driving force to realise these targets. A complete overhaul of the business was necessary, so on formulating a comprehensive marketing plan and new business strategy, I set to work.

A complete overhaul of the business followed by incorporating the previous partnership of A&R Engineering into the limited company we have today. Following the official launch of the new AR Engineering Industries in February 2010, the company has gone from strength to strength, winning more and more contracts from key clients in the aerospace and defence sectors. Most importantly, AR is gaining recognition as a trusted authority on precision engineering, and working as a prime contractor is now within our grasp.

Many people may perceive the most unusual aspect of this story to be that it is a young woman at the helm of an engineering company, and I'm often surprised by the attitudes towards women in engineering. However, in my experience, these attitudes come not necessarily from within the industry - despite the dominance of men. It's becoming more apparent that it's the historical reputation of the industry and stereotyping of what an engineer's role entails from the outside perspective that has created entry barriers for women wishing to pursue careers in the fields of science and technology.

So why is it that an industry as exciting and interesting as engineering, and with such a vast scope for opportunities and career development attracts so few women?
I feel it's important to educate people to increase their understanding of what an engineer really is. The misconception of the ‘under the car bonnet, covered in oil' role is a far cry from much of the engineering world.

My attitude is that gender balance in the engineering industry would offer benefits and rewards to not only the employing companies, but also their clients. Stereotypes aside, men and women have different inherent characteristics and attributes, working together and utilising the strengths of each individual will make way for stronger, more powerful and successful teams offering better solutions to engineering problems and projects.

With few female role models in engineering, the continuing male dominance and the contrived perception of the engineering industry means there is a long road ahead to reach out to young women and help them understand and realise what a career as an engineer can offer. Part of my motivation for AR to succeed is in raising awareness for young women that despite common opinion, the engineering industry is welcoming to all and to my industry peers demonstrate that a female influence amongst the management team of an engineering company is beneficial. Hopefully, this will encourage more businesses to market themselves more appropriately to potential female employees and ultimately to attract more women to the industry!

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