Your monthly WES eNewsletter is here!

August 2017

Women's Engineering Society eNewsletter

Welcome to the August edition of the WES newsletter!

In this month's newsletter we are asking readers for their 'humorous take'/'witty observations' on being a women in engineering, as well as updates on WES, upcoming events, job postings and news from our partners.

Job listings are found in the WES Jobs section below or you can click here.

The Women's Engineering Society is committed to supporting women in engineering. Click through the following link for more information on being a WES member. It costs just a pound a week and helps us to do our work to inspire and support women to achieve their potential as engineers, applied scientists and technical leaders.

If you have any news you would like to share with WES, please email us on [email protected].

Visit the new WES website

Follow MentorSET on twitter @mentorset or visit the website.

Visit Our Website

WES Updates and Events

WES Young Members' Board

The YMB held their most recent meeting at the Leonardo MW Ltd. offices in Luton, organised by board member Sophie Hutchins (who came back from her holiday especially for it!). After a morning of presentations from our CEO, Kirsten Bodley and representatives from Leonardo on the great work they are doing to encourage young people into STEM, followed by a tour of their facilities, we got started on the meeting.

We welcomed our three new board members to the team, Kirsty McDermott, Deborah Harris and Laura Davies, and they were eager to get involved in discussions. Topics included events for the WES Centenary year in 2019, planning for the next Student Conference (Aston University, Birmingham 24th - 25th November this year) and some more exciting projects we hope to share with you soon!

Remember to follow us on twitter @YMB1919 and on Instagram @wesymb

WES Herts & Beds Cluster

WES Herts & Beds Cluster Bike-Ride
26 August 2017 - 10:00am
Decathlon (retail store), Monkshood Way, Stevenage, SG1 1LA

Join us for a guided ride around Stevenage's best scenes and cycle routes! Leaders from HSBC UK have provided WES Herts & Beds Cluster with this fantastic fun and active opportunity. The ride will last approximately 6-8miles with an expected duration of 1hour.

No Bike? No worries! There is bicycle hire available. Please bring your own helmets.

16 places still available! Please register your attendance for free here and select a ticket based on hire/non-hire requirements.

In addition to this please register an account with LetsRide for further information on who will be guiding us and the cycle journey details.

WES and INWES-Europe at Montpellier and WSIS Forum 2017

As noted in past newsletters, WES is an active member of INWES-Europe, the International Network of Women Engineers and Scientists European regional network. WES members have recently taken part in two events related to INWES-Europe.

The second executive meeting of INWES-Europe was held in Montpellier in early June, hosted by EPF Ecole d'Ingénieurs. Sylvia Kegel of dib (the German counterpart to WES) and Chair of INWES-Europe and Yvette Ramos, Secretary General of INWES-Europe and President of Swiss Engineering in Suisse Romande, organised a fabulous two-day event: a comprehensive INWES-Europe planning meeting followed by a one-day European colloquium "Coaching and women entrepreneurship: what's new!?", followed by great networking events, a beachside dinner and vineyard visit. EPF was a most appropriate choice of host: EPF started out in 1925 as a women-only technical university ("Ecole Polytechnique Féminine") and was a key enabler allowing women to become engineers. The event was attended by EPF students, both men and women. Speakers included senior managers from DELL and other corporates.

WES was also invited to take part in a workshop and panel being held as part of the WSIS (World Summit for Information Societies) Forum 2017, on 12-16 June at the ITU (UN) in Geneva. This workshop was coordinated and chaired by Yvette Ramos, as President of Swiss Engineering, a partner of the WSIS Forum. The "Women Engineers & Scientists in the digital economy and industry 4.0: take off your invisibility cloak. This is the 21st century!" workshop highlighted the role of women in the digital industry and highlighted the importance of ICTs in contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the UN's 2030 Agenda. WES VicePresident, Sarah Peers gave the keynote speech, which gave the context for the gender divide in ICT. This was followed by a panel discussion with input from a diverse range of high level women, including WES council member Betty Bonnardel-Azzarelli, who is also very active in INWES. The strengthening of the role of women in ICTs is key to ensuring that the SDGs for 2030 are achieved.

The Next Generation - BBC Academy Recognising Engineering Talent

WES was invited to attend the annual celebration of BBC Design & Engineering Talent, hosted by Spring Watch Live's Lindsey Chapman on 21st July held at IET Savoy Place. The afternoon showcased around 25 graduates from their 3 Year Apprenticeship Scheme, which fuses practical innovation and field experience within a framework of a BEng Broadcast Engineering University degree. It is a unique Higher Education and Industry programme developed by the BBC in partnership with Salford University.

The BBC is a media production and distribution company founded by engineers in 1922, sharing a large part of its early history with the IET. Today it employees 3000 D&E staff and is a key player in the media arena, with its services reaching a global audience of 320 million people. Broadcast Engineering is an exciting field on the forefront of the Digital revolution with expanding creative media and digital platforms (Radio, TV, Online), cybersecurity, and content generation.

Andy Conroy, Controller of R&D underlined the value of the Apprenticeship scheme and agile structure, 'When we resolve conflict between theory and practice, we build resilience and confidence.' WES are working to increase partnership with the BBC for Engineering Apprenticeships, and look forward to helping inspire and support more women into Broadcasting.

UK MoD DE&S Professional Engineering Event

On Thursday 27 July, WES exhibited at the UK MoD DE&S Professional Engineering Event in Abbey Wood.

This year's event was themed "Women in Engineering". Betty Bonnardel-Azzarelli, WES Member and Council member and Vivienne Lee, WES Fellow introduced the Women's Engineering Society to staff of the UK MoD. The UK MoD is very engineering driven and many men and women alike were interested in WES. Many topics were discussed from mentorship to progressing an engineering career, inspiring young girls, work-life balance...

The event was very well attended, with a large portion of the participants being male. This matches the typical gender gap in engineering, but also shows a welcome interest on the topic by male engineers.

MentorSET

Setting Expectations as a Mentor

Being a Mentor means helping someone to think about their options, set goals and support them to stay focused in the pursuit of those goals. But before you can get started, you need to clarify your expectations.

Ask your mentee why they want a mentor. (It may not be what you think!)
What objectives or goals do they have? (You may need to help them clarify these)
How often can you both meet?
Where will you meet? (location, online etc.)
How, and when will you communicate? (Can your mentee call you at the weekend, for example?)

Time spent now, will prevent miscommunication later!

Visit the Mentoring for women in STEM website and follow on twitter @mentorset #MentorSET

Upcoming WES Events

WES AGM 14 October 2017, venue to be confirmed
WES Student Conference: Engineering Inspiration 24-25 November 2017, Birmingham
WES Caroline Haslett Lecture 2-5pm on Thursday, 5 October 2017 in London

WES Jobs

Vacancies

Production Team Leader | Coca Cola European Partners, Milton Keynes - CLOSING 18 August 2017
Director of Scientific Operations | Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus
Janet Thornton Postdoctoral Fellowship | Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus
Faculty Position in Cellular Genetics | Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus
Campus Commercial Director | Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus
Staff Tutor in Engineering and Innovation | Open University, Homeworker
Planning & Asset Manager | Renewable Energy Systems, Kings Langley, Hertfordshire
Warehouse Shift Manager | Coca Cola European Partners, Edmonton
Professor (W 3) in Networked Infrastructures and Spatial Planning | TU Dortmund University, Dortmund, Germany
Graduate Tutor Engineering Management | University of the West of England, Bristol
Automated Warehouse Reliability Engineer| Coca Cola European Partners, Sidcup
Emergency Lead Engineer | Cadent Gas Ltd, Essex, Bedfordshire, Norfolk
Senior Programme Manager - Diversity & Inclusion (Employment) | Royal Academy of Engineering, UK
Programme Delivery Manager | EDT, Covering either North, Midlands or South Region (Based in Salford, Birmingham or Welwyn Garden City
Research Fellowships, 2018 | St John's College, University of Cambridge, Cambridge

Being A Women in Engineering

What is it like to be a woman in engineering?

With only 9% of the engineering workforce being female, we would like to hear your 'humorous take' and 'witty observations' on being a women in engineering.

"As a 6th former, I was looking to join the RAF as an engineer and attended a "fam visit" (familiarisation visit). I was the only girl in the group and, the visit had been timed to coincide with the main summer leave period so there were few, if any, women on site. And somehow I managed to lock myself in a toilet, with a full height door and no opening windows, in a deserted female barracks. Fortunately my problem solving abilities finally proved a match for the dodgy lock and I freed myself without ever having to confess my embarrassing experience. I didn't join the RAF but do seem to have spent a disproportionate part of my career focused on toilets, whether sizing foul drainage or revising structural designs to allow for finishes and service openings. I'm afraid most of the "humour" since has been rather downbeat and stereotypical."

A WES Member who wishes to remain anonymous!

When asked as a student "Material Science - what's that, dress design?"

My response was "yes having sewing machines on the desk during exams did disturb the other engineers in the exam room..."

Kirsten Oliver (who would love to see the cartoon to go with this)

Please send your anecdotes, stories, doodles, etc to [email protected] and we will publish them in future newsletters.

Tired Engineer in Training

This month we are introducing a new feature from Tired Engineer in Training.

Eleanor Yong is currently a student at the University of York doing an "Electronic and Computer Engineering with a Year in Industry" degree. She found that as a woman, a person of colour (POC) and someone who can draw, she was somewhat of an anomaly in the industry. Engineering for her was always the answer to the joining of art and maths. She has a particular knack at creative subjects but an enthusiasm for number manipulation. Going into electronics seemed natural for someone who is as into Star Trek, blinking lights and tiny gadgets as she is!

Eleanor Yong: Everything is fine

[Click on image to open]

"I first started drawing my Tired Engineer in Training drawings during my first year of university, to break up the monotony of studying/revising. At first it was just to make me happy and give me a boost of relaxation during long study hours. If there's any way that I can promote females in STEM, I'm on it and now that I'd found a way to showcase my creativity and personal humour to give a positive message to people, I started making a hashtag for myself. Tired Engineer in Training became an online presence. Once I started posting them on social media to share with my friends, I noticed I was getting a lot of positive feedback and people wanted more. I have a background of both arts and sciences so I figured, why not make this a thing? I already had a portfolio of art that I sold to friends and family for fun, so why not share this with the greater community as a brand? I do find that I get a kick out of making people laugh. You might not think that as a minority that I would, perhaps because of my particular situation, but I want to show people that being a minority is ok, whether it be in STEM, as a person of colour or as a person who gets genuine happiness from sitting in boxes. There's still ridiculously hilarious and genuinely light hearted fun aspects to life as a minority and I want to share mine with you!"

Eleanor Yong: Promiscuous Engineer
[Click on image to open]

Look out for more of Eleanor Yong's drawings in future issues.

Upcoming Events

Women in energy

Thu 31 August 2017 18:00 - 20:00 [Free]
Holiday Inn & Holiday Inn Express, 161-165 West Nile Street, Glasgow, G1 2RL

If you are inspired by igniting a change and increasing the opportunities, professional growth and leadership development of women in the UK''s energy sector, please join us on 31 August for an information and networking evening with women and men engaged in gender diversity in energy from POWERful Women, and help the Southern Scotland branch of the Energy Institute to start their POWERful Women journey and bring gender diversity in the energy sector much closer to home.

This free event is brought to you by POWERful Women, Women in Engineering and Science and the Energy Institute.

Further information and register online here.

World's Top 50 Innovators from the Industries of the

Future

27 - 29 September 2017 [Full price £595-£295; to receive a 20% discount add the special discount code CDXSCE at the check out. ]

BT Auditorium, London

VICTOR HUGO once famously remarked: "No power on earth can resist an idea whose time has come".

Since the Industrial Revolution, technology has played a unique role in powering growth and transforming economies. Catalysed by the internet, the pace of technological change and scientific progress is accelerating, creating the new industries of the future.

We are inviting the scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs and visionaries who are building the "Industries of the Future", to better understand where new wealth will be created, whilst also examining the impact on the economy and society.

The format will be a series of Codex Talks. A Codex Talk is a concise 15 minute presentation from a speaker with the aim of answering a set question related to their industry or technology area. After 15 minutes, the speaker will be asked to make a bold prediction about their industry. For the benefits of the live audience, a Q&A will take place overseen by a moderator with all the speakers in the session.

A Codex Talk will give the audience something they can walk away with: valuable insights, actionable information, fresh perspectives, and renewed optimism.

'The World's Top 50 Innovators from the Industries of the Future' series is to be staged by Codex, International Business Leaders Network and WES is an Event Partner.

Click here for further information and to register online .

BESA National Conference and Awards Dinner

19 October 2017 [£50 - £170 Ex VAT]

London

The Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) will hold a combined national technical conference and awards dinner on October 19 in London.

The full day event at the Park Plaza Riverbank hotel will focus on four key areas for the building engineering sector: Indoor Air Quality (IAQ); District Heating and Tall Buildings; Heat Pumps; and Digital Construction including modular systems and BIM.

The event will feature expert presentations, but is also designed to encourage active participation from delegates during a series of workshops aimed at knowledge sharing and practical outputs. It will also feature an exhibition of latest products and innovations.

Further information.

More News

Delivering Diversity - Race and ethnicity in the management pipeline

Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) people are under-represented in business and especially in management roles. It's time for change.

Download the report here.

Transport for London Returners Programme

Transport for London is launching their Returners Programme.

Applications are welcome from professional men and women who have taken a career break of two years or more. The London-based paid programme runs for 12 weeks from Sept/Oct 2017 with the potential to join on a permanent basis thereafter. The application deadline is 21 August 2017.

For more information on the programme, the opportunities available, and how to apply.

Eureka! editorial advisory panel

Eureka! magazine requires a senior design (mechanical) engineer from the automotive or aerospace industry to sit on its editorial advisory board. If you think you could help the editor keep up to date with industry trends and information, then please contact the editor [email protected] for more information.

Environment Agency Board Opportunities

Would you like to play a leading role in protecting and improving the environment for future generations?

The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs are looking for exceptional individuals who are able to provide senior strategic leadership in a large and complex organisation. They are seeking to appoint four new members to the Environment Agency Board, including a Chair for the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee.

Do you have what it takes to help them improve the environment for future generations, or do you know someone who does?

To find out more about these exciting opportunities and to apply:
Board Member link

Audit & Risk Assurance Committee Chair link

EPSRC Strategic Advisory Bodies

EPSRC are currently recruiting new members to their Strategic Advisory Teams

There are four open vacancies within the Engineering SAT: Manufacturing/Production Engineering, Medical Engineering, Electronic/Electrical Engineering, and Robotics - in addition, the vacancies open across EPSRC may also be of interest. View the list of open vacancies here.

This is a really great opportunity for members of the academic and professional engineering communities to get involved with EPSRC at an advisory level, and anyone who is interested is encouraged to get in touch and submit an application. Click here for full details of the call .

Technical Education T level Panels

The Department of Education is seeking experienced professionals in the 'Engineering and Manufacturing' and 'Construction' Routes to help shape the future technical education system.

In July 2016, the government agreed in the Post 16 Skills Plan to accept all the recommendations made by the Independent Panel on Technical Education, led by Lord Sainsbury. At the heart of these reforms is the creation of a new national system of technical education, which will organise technical education, work-based (apprenticeships) and college-based, into 15 "routes" to skilled employment.

They are currently seeking industry professionals to co-design the content of new T level programmes. This will involve designing the content of the associated classroom-based T level qualifications and advising on broader programme requirements. The closing date for applications is midday Monday 21 August.

They are keen to recruit experienced practitioners or managers/trainers of practitioners who can understand and articulate what it takes to move to skilled employment in their field. They would also welcome applications from professional bodies or trade associations if they are able to demonstrate their ability to represent and consult across industry and have experience of working on the development of industry standards.

Further information and how to apply.

NFTS Production Technology and Engineering MA

The National Film and Television School has launched an exciting new Production Technology and Engineering MA in partnership with BT.

The ground-breaking course will give you the skills required to support all aspects of production engineering for film and television. You will benefit from cutting-edge facilities, including the UK's only 4K training Television studio, plus the opportunity to collaborate on a range of graduation projects from TV Entertainment shows to fiction films. There will be work placements at BT and BT is providing a scholarship to support a student through the course.

Apply here by 7 September 2017 to start in January 2018

Women of the Future Awards 2017

The search for Women of the Future 2017 is officially underway. Do you know someone? Nominate them today!

The Women of the Future Awards are the platform for successful young women in Britain. Now in their twelfth year, the awards continue to unearth and recognise the inspirational stars of tomorrow across diverse sectors. The Women of the Future Programme, enables opportunities through our Women of the Future Network and Women of the Future Ambassadors Programme.

The Women of the Future Awards are open to all women aged 35 or under (candidates must be aged 35 or under on December 31st 2017). Deadline for nominations 8 September 2017. There are three Special Awards that operate outside of this criteria:

Women of the Future Corporate Award (open to an organisation)
Women of the Future Mentor Award (open to men and women of any age)
Women of the Future Young Star Award (open to 16 to 21-year-old girls on December 31st 2017)

For more information and to find out how to nominate somebody for an award.

Top Young Professionals Reach Power Players Final

Independent judges select four finalists to face public vote

Four leading young professionals from across the engineering and electrotechnical industry have reached the final of Power Players - and now face an online public vote. The shortlisted entrants to Power Players are as follows:

George Antino - T Clarke
Harry Bartle - Chris Bowker Ltd.
Charlie Harwood - City Electrical Factors (CEF)
Joseph Wu - T Clarke

"I was impressed with the shortlist, and the videos. What I would like to have seen is women on this list, and especially our members. I am sure many women out there could make the grade. But I do recommend checking out the videos to see the level of competition." Benita Mehra, President of WES

View the four videos and vote here. The public vote runs until Tuesday 5 September.

International Women's Day 2018 partnerships now open

International Women's Day (IWD) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity by campaigning for change.

Expressions of interest are now open for progressive organisations seeking to partner with www.internationalwomensday.com for 2018. Organisations are invited to make contact as soon as possible to explore partnership opportunities and collaborations. Stay tuned for more news about IWD 2018 by submitting your contact details via the IWD website.

[And of course there is #INWED International Women in Engineering Day on 23 June]

The Royal Institution Masterclass programme

The Masterclasses team are looking for enthusiastic volunteers to deliver inspiring, interactive and theoretically deep workshops and are particularly keen to work with female engineers.

The Royal Institution Masterclass programme opens young people's eyes to the diversity of mathematics, engineering and computer science. All over the UK, keen and talented young people who have been nominated by their teachers attend series of workshops to explore applications of these subjects outside their school experience. The workshops are led by talented and enthusiastic volunteers from education, academia and industry. The programme aims to allow students to gain a deeper understanding of the wonders and applications of these far-reaching subjects and to continue their interest and engagement into later life.

Each Masterclass series consists of at least six Masterclass sessions where each session is led by a different speaker and is stand alone. A Masterclass takes students on an in-depth exploration of a topic, combining theory with interactive investigation. Currently, Ri Masterclass series are offered nationally in Primary Mathematics (usually Year 5/6), Secondary Mathematics (Years 9 - 12) and Secondary Engineering and Secondary Computer Science (both for Year 9).

Engineers can access training for the development and delivery of masterclasses and can support Masterclasses that are local to them or others across the UK. If you are interested in being a Masterclass speaker please contact Aasiya Hassan at [email protected].

Year of Engineering - Meet the Parents

2018 is the Year of Engineering, and as part of the yearlong celebrations Dawn Bonfield, Immediate Past President and former CEO of WES, will be taking engineering careers out 'on the road' to meet parents and students face to face. She is planning a series of 10 events - some science, but most not science based, so that we can have real conversations with real students and parents and tell them all of the great things they need to know about future engineering careers.

Dawn is currently putting the list of shows together and is looking support. The 2018 dates she has in mind so far are: York Literature Festival in March, Hay Festival end of May/early June, Cheltenham Science Festival in June, Royal International Air Tattoo 14-16 July, Kendal Calling 26-29 July, Edinburgh International and Fringe Festival in August, British Science Festival in September, Abergavenny Food Festival in September.

If you and/or your organisation would like to be involved then please contact: Dawn Bonfield MBE, Towards Vision: [email protected]

You can follow the news updates here.

Needed! More women engineers in GKN's Formula Student

GKN was again official partner for Formula Student, Europe's most established educational motor sport competition, held at Silverstone last month.

University teams from across the globe competed as they designed, built and drove Formula Student race cars - a great way for engineering students to gain real-world experience. GKN's four day live-stream broadcast reached over 15,000 people via 2,500 hours of footage. Again this year, the lads certainly out-numbered women by a large degree - but that's why it's so important for women to know about these useful opportunities and get involved. Read about GKN's Formula Student via the Where Women Work website and women jump on board next year to drive your success!

The Big Bang Fair 2018

The Big Bang UK Young Scientists & Engineers Competition is offering students the opportunity to showcase their work to over 70,000 visitors at The Big Bang Fair. There are amazing prizes up for grabs, including the chance to be crowned GSK UK Young Scientist or UK Young Engineer of the Year.

The Big Bang Competition is the UK's premier science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) competition. It is open to all UK residents aged 11-19 years old in full-time secondary education or training. Students can submit individual or team project work. Online applications are now open until 30 October 2017.

Find out more.

Cities for Children and Mothers? How should we design inclusive Africa Cities?

UIDC are in the last phases of organising the 3rd Edition of the Urban and Infrastructure Development Conference with a number of key international speakers.

You are invited to this conference as a key speaker on sustainable smart cities for all social groups, connect Africa and infrastructure issues for smart cities. It would be a plus if we can have more female experts (with experiences from organised cities) to the conference to talk about their experiences, desires and needs for a city with children and safer streets. You can view the Agenda on the website here.

This year's conference handles very technical issues of the inevitable urban transformation as a result of technological progress re: autonomous and electric vehicles, urban infrastructure design, off grid networks and utilities, remote controlled devices etc., for smart cities and integration of technology into social life and space.

If you are interested in attending as a key speaker please send a passport photo and short CV/Profile to Daniel Bwanika: email i [email protected] Please note there is no funding available for this conference so delegates will pay a small fee on the website.

Not One But Two Awards For Berkshire Hydropower Station At The ICE South East England Awards

Greenford Ltd were thrilled to receive not one but two awards at the prestigious ICE South East England Engineering Excellence Awards 2017.

Greenford Ltd's design and build project of the hydropower station in the village of Sonning, Berkshire on behalf of client Pridewater Estates Ltd was the scheme which swept the categories. Greenford Ltd took home the trophies for both the Award for Sustainability & Resilience as well as the Thames Valley Award for Engineering Excellence.

Greenford Ltd Managing Director and ICE Fellow Claire Greenwood could not have been happier with the result. "We were thrilled and honoured to walk away with two prestigious awards on the night. The Sonning hydropower scheme was an excellent design and build project, incorporating all of the sensitive aspects in terms of the environment, watercourse and location as well as the engineering achievement in delivering the scheme, all while meeting the all-important client objective of producing clean energy. It is wonderful to be recognised for our efforts in working towards a Greener energy future for Britain's civil construction industry as well as being a part of what our client Pridewater Estates are working to achieve."

The ICE Engineering Excellence Awards are the premier showcase for engineering achievement in South East England with 14 shortlisted infrastructure and building projects for the annual awards, taking place this year at the Grand Brighton on Thursday 27 July 2017.

Find out more about this award winning project and view the full works gallery.

Bishop's Castle pupils live video chat with NASA

Science teacher Rio Scott put together a day of talks by inspiring women t o mark International Women in Engineering Day, that included a conference call with one of NASA's senior engineers, Dr Mamta Patel Nagaraja. Miss Scott said "the students were really impressed to see she was quite a glamorous woman and not a hyper nerd at the end of the internet."