Working As a Woman in Engineering Gave Me the Chance to Meet Royalty…

As part of International Women in Engineering Day 2022, we wanted to highlight the important role our female employees play in our success as a group.

To celebrate, we asked women from across the British Engines Group to share their biggest career highlights so far:

Women in engineering

“My highlight would have to be when I won Apprentice of the Year at the British Engines Group. I actually won it two years in a row, but because of Covid-19 I was given the awards all at once during the British Engines Annual Awards in 2021, so that was a big moment for me. I was delighted to win because the apprentice of the year is chosen out of all the apprentices across the whole of the British Engines Group. It felt like a big achievement!”

Holly Allen, CNC Machinist

Women in engineering

“My career highlight would be when we went to DSEI in September 2021. I had just come back from maternity leave at the time and to see the growth that BEL Engineering had achieved from 2019 to 2021 was amazing. We have recently expanded our customer-base into some key defence companies, so having those relationships and seeing the standard of how we present ourselves as an organisation was a really good experience.”

Katy O’Farrell, Commercial Director

Women in engineering

“The highlight of my career so far as a female apprentice has been the transition from college life to a working environment, and the amazing support I have received throughout!

Olivia Knox, 1st Year Apprentice

Women in engineering

“When I was doing my apprenticeship, our company won the Queen’s Award for Excellence which meant that Princess Anne came to visit the factory with the local Mayor. She wasn’t scheduled to come and see me because I was working at the back of the factory, but she must have heard there was a woman working on the shopfloor and so made a bee line for me! I was stunned because I could see her heading towards me and I wasn’t prepared, but she was so lovely. I know she’s quite an ambassador for women’s rights so it was an absolute honour to meet her.”

Claire Fleming, Machine Centre Operative

Women in engineering

“My career highlight so far was becoming a Chartered Marketer with the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM). I had to complete a Level 7 qualification whilst working full-time which was hard, but worth it in the end!”

Jodie Beal, Group Marketing Manager

 

At the British Engines Group, we believe that to best meet the challenges and opportunities of the future, we require a highly skilled, diverse and innovative workforce. We are committed to providing equal opportunities to people of all genders, believing that an inclusive workforce is vital when it comes to engineering a future.

If you’d like to be a part of the British Engines Group, take a look at our current vacancies to find out more information and how to apply.