Today is National Women in Engineering Day and to celebrate, Solid Solutions would like to share the stories of some of their team members.
The UK needs to double the number of recruits into engineering to meet demand. 23 June 2015 is a day dedicated to encouraging more Women into engineering roles, both as a way of increasing diversity and inclusion in the industry and in order to meet the candidate deficit within the sector.
Statistics comparing GCSE performance of girls in comparison to boys in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Manufacturing) subjects show that girls achieve better or equal grades. However, only 6% of the engineering workforce in the UK are female.
With all this in mind and in support of National Women in Engineering Day, Solid Solutions would like to share the stories of the women who are integral to our team.
I work as an Applications Support Engineer in Solid
Solutions Management where I train customers how to use SOLIDWORKS and offer
technical assistance for any queries they may have.
This job offers many challenges with plenty of opportunity
to improve as the software is constantly evolving. I enjoy this aspect of the
job as it keeps me on my toes and no two weeks are ever the same.
I studied Mechanical Engineering at Queens University
Belfast and choose this course as I have always had an interest in problem
solving and understanding how things work. It was here that I got to develop my
knowledge of 3D CAD and carried this interest into my career.
There were only a few women in my university course however
they too found the course enjoyable and are experiencing early success in their
careers. To name a few, some of my friends are now working to achieve PhD’s and
others are working in the aerospace and automotive industries. The subjects
covered in engineering can be applied to many areas and can offer you the
opportunity for a wide a varied career path.
My University was very active in promoting women in
engineering and I had the opportunity to learn from some inspirational women both
in lectures and also industry. My first employer in engineering was a woman who
was highly accomplished and respected in her field of knowledge and working
under her guidance for a year helped develop me as an engineer.
Outside of the office, I enjoy participating in various
sports including tennis, golf and football. I would recommend engineering to those who
enjoy developing solutions to complex problems and seeing their ideas become
reality.
Julie Weir - Applications Engineer at Solid Solutions
Since starting at Solid Solutions I have taken part in many business activities, starting out as an Applications Engineer, working on technical support queries and providing SOLIDWORKS training courses, to my current role as Technical Marketing Engineer, creating relevant and engaging media for industry.
I have always had an inquisitive demeanor, with aptitudes for maths,physics and languages. Therefore, I made my route to industry through an International Baccalaureate Diploma and a Bachelor of Science in Product Innovation and Development. My keen interest in Engineering and Design was nurtured through events organised by WISE (Women in Science, Technology and Engineering) and school work experience at MIRA.
The most attractive aspects of my work has always been the balance between creativity and precision, as well as the opportunities to explore new fields. I particularly enjoy the satisfaction felt when seeing a project to completion. Observing results and seeing the impact of my work on other is also a great feeling.
Engineering is such a varied subject with the potential to inspire all and for that reason I would implore anyone to consider a career in one of the many industry sectors.
Dominique Pons Webster - Technical Marketing Engineer at Solid Solutions
For more information on National Women in Engineering Day, visit the website.