Celebrating women in engineering

International Women in Engineering Day – 23 June 2023

To celebrate the 10th year of the International Women in Engineering Day, Southend-on-Sea City Council is throwing a spotlight on some of our female engineers; one who has enjoyed a 20 year career and another who is still training.

Led by the Women’s Engineering Society, the awareness day was set up to raise the profile of female engineers, who still only represent 16.5% of engineers according to figures in 2021.

Meet Jo Matthews – Principal Engineer

Jo didn’t start out with a career in engineering in mind, in fact she hated maths at school!?

Originally Jo studied coastal and river science, through various roles at the Environment Agency, Essex Highways and Anglian Water, she further trained in civil engineering and developed her wide experience and knowledge.

Indeed, when the principal engineer position was advertised at Southend-on-Sea City Council which covers flood and coastal erosion risk management and highway improvements, her husband asked if the job was written for her.

Jo, 46, said: “I’ve been working as an engineer and water practitioner for many years in the Anglian region, the varied experience and contacts I’ve built up over the years are invaluable in delivering my work today.?

“Engineering isn’t all about maths, like many, I don’t like maths! Being able to communicate effectively, plan resources and deliver schemes on time and to budget is a large part of what I do.

The world of engineering has changed a lot in the last 20 years, water and material sustainability, resilience and adaption to our changing climate and the use of nature-based solutions are key considerations now for scheme optioneering and development.?

“In terms of the women working in the industry, again a lot has changed. My first ever job, I was more often than not the only woman in a room and was constantly asked; are you sure you want to do this job, you might get cold and wet? This always made me laugh as I grew up on a farm!?

Now though, it’s completely different and the fact that you’re a woman doesn’t even come into it whether you are prepared or can do the job, it’s skills, knowledge and experience that count.”

Jo explains how the variety of flood, coastal and highway work is what she loves about her engineering work at Southend. She said: “The best bit about working at Southend-on-Sea City Council is we can try new and innovative solutions and lead the way, for example in our FCRIP Catchment to Coast project.

“In this role, I get to see a whole project delivered, from concept, through optioneering and detailed design, to installation.?It’s great to see a solution you have developed, work in the way it is meant to, whether it’s a sea wall, roundabout or swale.

“Engineering isn’t just about building a bridge, it’s not just about concrete and construction sites, it’s so much more. There are so many roles from soil mechanics to hydraulics and environmental impact assessments, something for everyone!”?

Meet Jane Brockman – Assistant Engineer in Civil Engineering

Jane took a slightly different route into her career as she spent 20 years as a legal secretary in London. It was redundancy and the fact she was already studying a degree in Engineering through the Open University, that gave her the opportunity to retrain and try something completely different.

An interest in cycling and a cycle mechanic qualification carried out through personal interest, led to a role with Southend-on-Sea City Council as a cycle mechanic and admin assistant for Forward Motion Travel.

When the opportunity arose to transfer into the civil engineering team, she knew she had to follow her instinct and apply.

Jane, 47, said: “I joined as an engineering technician and I was given a lot of chances to gain new knowledge and experience, so now I’m an assistant engineer. I am continuing with my degree with the Open University, which being part time and distancing learning is a long-term process, I’m just finishing year four out of six.?

“I have been on courses where I am the only woman but haven’t found it an issue. My biggest challenge is a lack of experience, but I think that is a hurdle in any career. I have been fortunate to be given the opportunity to show that I have the aptitude and willingness to learn and progress in a career in engineering.

“My late father was a toolmaker and engineer, so I probably picked up some of the technical interest from watching him work and I enjoy the variety in my role. Southend-on-Sea is a great location to gain experience in a wide area of civil engineering, as I work on highways, flood and coastal projects.”

Jane plans to focus her interest and progress her studies with flood and coastal aspects of engineering.

She adds: “I think if you are interested in engineering, you will find a way. When I was thinking of a career path at school, I choose a clerical role as that was an obvious choice at that time but it’s different now and I think there are a lot more opportunities to go down different routes.”

There are a whole host of different roles and opportunities at Southend-on-Sea City Council. Visit our website to find out more.?