International Women in Engineering Day: Student Question Time
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To celebrate International Women in Engineering Day this year, we hosted a Student Question Time event with an all-female STEM panel at The Oaks Academy in Crewe.
The women on the panel were:
- Zilah Chaudhry – Client Digital Integration Manager at ALS Global. Zilah’s role focuses on technology across the environmental, pharmaceutical & food industry
- Victoria Attwood – Senior Product Development Manager at the Coop. Victoria’s role is in retail / manufacturing in the food industry
- Natasha Hibberd – GIS Technician at Balfour Beatty. Natasha’s role is focused on digital geography and mapping out areas for the construction industry.
Panel members gave an introduction into themselves, their job roles and their routes into their STEM careers. All the women had completely different experiences of getting into STEM, from changing university courses, being passionate about science and engineering or progressing from a part time job.
During the panel discussion, Year 8 & 9 students were in the audience asking the panellists a range of insightful questions. The students wanted to find out what barriers the women faced when getting into STEM, what their experiences had been like working in a male dominated industry, and the kind of skills that are needed to get into the STEM industry.
29% of the STEM workforce are women, therefore through events like this it is great to showcase a range of rewarding careers in STEM for both men and women, and to bust any myths or misconceptions surrounding STEM careers. Here at EDT, we are passionate about inspiring role models in the STEM industry, and we believe it’s essential to show young people that there are a variety of positions in STEM many people can get into with transferable skills, ambition and motivation.
We are proud to support International Women in Engineering Day, to find out more please click here.
