Engineering is still typically viewed as men’s work – however this is changing as one young woman who is embarking upon a career in the profession can testify.
Theresa Evans, from Pontypool, works for electricity distributor Western Power Distribution as a design engineer.
Theresa, who has more than 20 years’ experience of working in the electricity industry, began her career working for Swalec and the former Hyder plc as a graduate engineer.
She joined WPD in 2001 and is currently based at its Lamby Way office in Cardiff.
Theresa is currently a senior member of the Primary System Design department.
Her day-to-day activities include working on multi-million pound generation projects, planning and designing the electricity network, meeting customers and discussing connection issues as they arise.
Theresa, a chartered engineer, said: “I would definitely encourage young women to enter engineering. It’s an interesting world and with constant advances in technologies it can only continue to grow.
“Engineering as a whole has so many different areas to venture into. I can honestly say I have never experienced any kind of prejudice. It’s been a pleasure to interact with all elements of the company and customers alike.
Today (June 23) is National Women in Engineering Day, which aims to highlight and celebrate the achievements of women in engineering like Theresa.
Asked how she got into the profession, Theresa said: “It’s always been something that I’ve been interested in. There’s so much to see and do and it’s very rewarding.”
Theresa’s has some advice for any woman thinking about taking up an engineering role: “If you’re interested, don’t be put off, just apply. There are so many opportunities within the industry and some great career prospects.”
Western Power Distribution is the distribution network operator for the Midlands, South West England and South Wales, and is responsible for delivering electricity to approximately 7.8 million customers in the UK.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here