Tarmac supports International Women in Engineering Day

In 2017 Tarmac supported International Women in Engineering Day, with a series of activities to celebrate the achievements and successes of women engineers across its business.

International Women in Engineering Day was created by the Women’s Engineering Society (WES) and takes place on 23 June annually, focusing attention on careers in engineering and technical roles for women. Tarmac’s support for the event, through its membership of WES, forms part of our strategy to promote more diversity within its workforce, and encourage females to consider careers in engineering and STEM subjects.

Our Aberthaw cement plant, in south Wales, hosted 30 year four and five students from Sully Primary School. They were shown around by the plant’s quarry manager, Nicola Bartholomey. Nicola, who has been in the quarrying industry for 15 years, began her career in a laboratory testing concrete and aggregates. She was inspired to become a quarry manager after watching a quarry blast.

One pupil to take part in the event was Eleanor Bradbury, who said: “I had a really fun day learning about the different jobs that people do at Aberthaw. I really enjoyed hearing Nicola’s story about how she became the quarry manager and it made me to think about different careers when I get older. I’ve had a really fun day and the plant was great!”

Nicola added: “Meeting the pupils was fun, and it was nice to give them an insight into our business.

“Managing the quarry is exciting day in, day out and I hope I was able to share my enthusiasm with them! I’m passionate about championing women in engineering so it is always a pleasure to meet and to try to inspire young women to become tomorrow’s engineers.”

In Derbyshire, our Tunstead Cement and Lime works hosted more than 30 students from Buxton Community School to see the site, talk about varied career opportunities the company offers, and show the pupils round a photo exhibition showing women working in the business over the past 100 years. The students, aged 15 and 16, were taken on a site tour and introduced to female colleagues in a range of roles – from engineering to chemistry and geology.

Abigail Finney, a mechanical engineering apprentice who has previously won the East Midlands ‘Apprentice of the Year’ award, took part in the visit. She said: “It was a pleasure to welcome the students to take a closer look at our operations and to get a first-hand impression of the careers on offer.

“International Women in Engineering Day is a great opportunity to inspire the next generation of female engineers, and I hope we were able to encourage more women to consider careers within this industry.”

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“International Women in Engineering Day is a great opportunity to inspire the next generation of female engineers, and I hope we were able to encourage more women to consider careers within this industry.”

Abigail Finney,
Mechanical engineering apprentice