We called on staff around the business to show their support for breaking the bias in the workplace and beyond. It’s no secret that Engineering has long been a male-dominated industry. However, while there is still a long way to go, since 2010 both the percentage and number of women in engineering roles has increased. In 2010, just over 1 in 10 (10.5%) of those working in engineering roles were women. By 2021, this had risen to 16.5% – representing an increase from 562,000 in 2010 to 936,000 in 2021 (source: Engineering UK, Women In Engineering Report, March 2022)  

We caught up with some of our female engineers to find out their thoughts on the need to #BreakTheBias in the world of engineering. 

Sharon, Production Manager 

“I knew that I wanted to be an engineer from an early age. As the eldest of five kids, and the only girl, I spent my teenage years taking motorbikes and banger cars to bits and putting them back together. In those days though, I was definitely a woman in a man’s world. 

In fact, at one point, I worked for an Engineering company that supplied to the MOD. I had the pleasure of going on a type 45 submarine in dry dock to carry out an isolation. They took one look at me as a woman and asked if they could carry my toolbox for me!

Things have definitely changed over the years. When I first started at Crestchic, I was the only woman in a team of men. I’m pleased to say they treated me as an equal and we’re now evening up the numbers!” 

Isabella, Electrical and Mechanical Design Engineer 

“When I chose what to study at university, my dad and mum suggested I should do teaching, medicine, or accounting. They felt that they were more suitable subjects for a woman, but I wanted to change the world in a different way, by designing and building equipment and delivering engineering projects which can make the world a better place.

When I was looking for my first job after graduation, I was asked to take less salary compared to male graduates. I asked why, the interviewer explained that, as an engineer, site visits may require heavy lifting, that some of the sites may not be safe for women, and that some of them don’t even have a female toilet.

After almost ten years in the industry, I can tell the atmosphere is changing. It’s easier for women engineers now, but there is still bias, and we can do more to improve.”

Female engineers who changed the world 

• Hertha Marks Ayrton was a leading suffragette, physicist, mathematician, and inventor who patented 26 inventions during her lifetime. Amongst them was  the ‘Ayrton anti-gas fan’, which was used in the WWI trenches to disperse gas. In 1899 she was the first elected female member of the Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE).
• In the late 1800s, Alice H. Parker designed the first gas furnace powered by natural gas, and the first heating system which allowed temperature control in different areas through independently monitored burners. 
• Dr Margaret Fishenden (1889-1977) carried out pioneering work in Combustion and Heat Transfer contributed to the understanding of aircraft gas turbines, flamethrowers, and airfield gas-burners. 
• Ada Lovelace is considered the first computer programmer. She collabprated with mathematician Charles Babbage to work on the Analytical Engine. Decades before the first computers, she worked out how to use the Analytical Engine to perform calculations – the first ever algorithms.
• Stephanie Kwolek accidentally discovered bulletproof fibre Kevlar in the 1960s while looking for a lightweight but strong material for car tires. Following extensive research into polymers, Kwolek discovered that Kevlar is five times stronger by weight than steel. It is now used in bulletproof vests and mobile phone cases.
• Mary Anderson invented the first hand operated windscreen wiper in 1902. It consisted of a lever inside the vehicle connected to a rubber blade outside. Few car makers were interested until years later, when they became a standard feature. In 1917 another woman, Charlotte Bridgwood, patented the first automatic windscreen wiper.
• In her spare time, 1930s film star Hedy Lamarr developed a technique called ‘frequency hopping’ that was used by the US military to control weapons and other devices remotely, without the worry of jamming.

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Originally from China, Isabella grew up in a society with much the same gender bias in engineering roles as the UK. Her parents longed for her to follow in their footsteps and become a nurse or an accountant, but Isabella’s innate interest in ‘how things work’ led her to go on to study science in high school and engineering at university – where just 3 of the class of 36 students were female – before travelling to the UK in 2012 to study for her masters degree.

In 2018, Isabella joined the team at Crestchic. As an Electrical Design Engineer, Isabella is involved in all stages of the lifecycle of a loadbank – analysing technical documentation and specifications, undertaking electrical calculations of cable, power and fuse sizing and producing electrical schematics, controller coding and build instructions through to making recommendations for product improvement and development.

Isabella explains, “The great thing about being an engineer is the opportunity to continually develop and learn. I’m surrounded by very experienced engineers and am able to expand my knowledge all of the time. My next goal is to get more involved with designing PCBs and coding controllers.”

Asked what she thinks can be done to tackle the skills gap in particular when it comes to encouraging young girls to consider STEM subjects, Isabella is clear. “It is all about opportunity. Many young girls are given toys that encourage them to nurture rather than explore – that’s important, but so is expanding their knowledge and interest. Take children to science parks and aeroplane or space science museums. Encouraging them to ask questions and get excited is key to creating the next generation of engineers.”

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As the most experienced female engineer, Sharon is Crestchic’s Quality Engineer turned Production Manager. Overseeing a team of 45 people, Sharon works with the local college to encourage young people into engineering, challenge misconceptions and give them hands-on experience. It was there that she met Torrie Lunn, who is now an apprentice on her team and the only other female in an otherwise all-male team.

“To be honest” explains Sharon, “Torrie reminded me of me! At the age of 15, my uncle got me through the doors of the local steelworks for work experience. I spent the week making tea and filing – until one of the team asked me what I wanted to do when I left school. I saw my chance and talked my way onto the shop floor – it was seeing the enormous steel coil being formed punched and pressed that really ignited my passion.”

“Torrie was just like I was – she had her sights set on being an engineer and it was clear she had the determination and passion to do it. She’s doing a great job so far. My advice to anyone considering a career in engineering would be to go for it and believe in yourself.”

As a business, Crestchic is keen to play a part in developing young engineers, working with the local college to help deliver apprenticeship programmes and offer work-experience opportunities, as well as actively recruiting and training apprentices within the business. To find out more about Crestchic product or career opportunities, please get in touch via our contact us page.

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