Sunday 23 June marked International Women in Engineering Day (INWED), an international awareness campaign to raise the profile of women in engineering and their outstanding achievements.
We’re delighted to see more and more women are choosing careers in the engineering sector and we’re proud that a number of these women have brought their skills and talents to SGN. All week, we’re celebrating our fantastic female engineers – here’s Katie’s story.
Hi everybody, my name’s Katie King and I’m a trainee team manager for Electrical and Instrumentation (E&I) Operations in Scotland.
What inspired me to become an engineer?
This is where I have to admit that I didn’t have a childhood dream to be an engineer!
I had good grades when I left school, however, I always knew I didn’t want to go down the traditional university route.
Instead, I decided to complete an apprenticeship in building services. This provided me with a good base of technical knowledge but also many life skills. I learned skills such as communicating with customers and working within time constraints.
Engineers, of all kinds, will always be needed. I find working in industries that provide essential services very rewarding. I think this is why I became an engineer.
My journey in SGN
Last year, I decided to take my career in a different direction. I joined the company in March 2023. During my first year, I got the opportunity to rotate around the different maintenance departments; projects, pipelines, E&I and pressure control.
I’ve recently settled in E&I. Our department is responsible for looking after the electrical equipment and instruments at transmission sites. I spend some of my time in the office and some out on site. No two days are ever the same!
Women at SGN
There are lots of positives that I’ve found at SGN. I’ve met several women who have worked their way up to senior positions within their department. I was also pleasantly surprised to discover the Women at SGN group. It was great to attend a networking lunch last year at Fullarton House. It was also encouraging to see that some senior male leaders attended to see how they could lend their support as an ally.
Unfortunately, I think we still have a long way to go when it comes to increasing the number of women in engineering roles both at SGN and in wider society.
We can all play our part to change this by highlighting our vacancies and training programmes to female friends and family in the same way we do with males. Even if you think they won’t be interested, you just never know.
My final words to any woman considering a career in engineering is that yes – it can be cold and muddy at times – but there are so many positives that outweigh this.
And yes – it can be daunting at first being the only woman in the room – but you’ll very quickly forget about this, I don’t even notice it now.
To start your journey with us, visit our Careers Hub.
