Media centre

Tuesday 23 Jun 2015

Network Rail calls for more women to consider engineering careers in Wales on National Women in Engineering Day

Region & Route:

| Wales & Western: Wales & Borders

| Wales & Western

Network Rail is calling for more women to think about careers in engineering in Wales on National Women in Engineering Day – a day dedicated to raising the profile of women in engineering and celebrating their achievements.

Louise Bungay is an assistant asset engineer for Network Rail in Cardiff. The 25-year-old joined Network Rail last year after studying for a degree in civil engineering. Her role involves looking after infrastructure which supports the railway line, such as bridges, walls and tunnels, and working with teams who develop and plan projects to improve the railway.

Louise said: “I love my job because it’s so interesting working with both old and new infrastructure. I always knew I wanted to be an engineer from a young age and I chose a role with Network Rail as I felt that it offered me the best opportunities to learn and grow.

“Engineering is still considered a male role but attitudes are improving and it is important we encourage more women to think of it as a career. 

“On the job there is no difference between me and the men in my team, we are all treated the same, and we treat each other with respect. As long as you are up to the job, that’s all that matters.”

Louise will be joining the Not Just For Boys Careers Fair on 30 June in St Fagan’s National History Museum in Cardiff. The event has been organised by Chwarae Teg in partnership with Kier Construction and Careers Wales to help women discover a range of exciting careers they might not have considered.

Emma Tamplin, Chwarae Teg’s collaboration partner, said: “The response to the Not Just for Boys Careers Fair has been exceptional and it truly shows there is a real appetite amongst women to consider and enter into careers that were traditionally seen as only being suitable for men.

“I was delighted when Network Rail chose to get on board and have some its female engineers attend. I know they’ll offer genuine inspiration to other women in what I hope will be a truly inspiration event for women.”

Tracy Dickinson, head of human resources for Network Rail Wales, said: “Female engineers like Louise can inspire today’s generation of young women to open the doors to a world of opportunities which come from pursuing Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects and careers.
 
“Engineering has for too long been dominated by men, with women currently only making up 14% of the Network Rail workforce across Britain.
 
“That’s why it is so important to challenge stereotypes and attract more women to join Network Rail. Attracting and retaining a more diverse workforce will help us to maximise innovation, creativity and competitiveness.”

National Women in Engineering Day, organised by the Women’s Engineering Society, is intended to raise the profile and achievements of females in the industry. National Women in Engineering Day is held on Tuesday 23 June 2015. More information can be found here: http://www.nwed.org.uk/