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Girls need engineering: Engineering needs girls

Date and time
Tuesday 02 May 2023, 18:00 BST to 21:00 BST
Attendance and participation
This is an in-person event.
A female engineering student wearing a lab coat, standing in an engineering laboratory.

About this in-person event

There is a gender gap in engineering in the UK – fewer women are engineers than men.  It is important that girls and young women are aware of the fantastic opportunities that engineering careers can bring. It is also important that we increase the diversity in the engineering sector so that a wider range of perspectives and ideas can feed into the engineering decision making and so that the outcomes are relevant to more people in society.

"Are you a creative problem solver who wants to make a difference in the world? Have you ever considered a career in Engineering? Are you the parent/carer of a young person who is interested in an Engineering career but you want to understand what this involves so you can advise them?"

Come to our event to find out more – what do engineers do? How do you become an engineer? What are the challenges that engineers are working on? What skills do you need to be an engineer?

We will provide an overview of what ‘engineering’ means, the routes to becoming a Chartered Professional Engineer, the course options and the fantastic and rewarding careers. Some of our wonderful engineering alumni who recently graduated from the University of Bradford will share their own stories -  who and what inspires them, their experiences as students and what life is like working as an engineer. We will also give you the opportunity to meet female engineers who work at the University together with some of our current students who will be happy to answer your questions. There will be refreshments and a chance for you to network with other women who are interested in STEM careers.

The event is suitable for all interested in engineering and tech careers, and their parents/carers.

Alumni Speakers:

Stephanie Travers

Stephanie Travers is the Development Lead at Mission 44 and the Deputy Team Principle for Team X44. Stephanie is new to Grant making but works with the grants team in Mission 44. Stephanie’s main focus is on the ignite partnership which is a joint initiative between Sir Lewis Hamilton and the Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 team. The aim is to strengthen pathways to and within UK motorsport for women and girls, ethnic minorities and economically disadvantaged individuals through inspirational and STEM-based interventions across education and careers.

Stephanie is a former Senior Trackside Fluid Engineer who co-managed the Petronas Trackside Laboratory. The laboratory is an integral part of the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team infrastructure. Stephanie was selected from over 7,000 candidates in Petronas’ inaugural global talent search to become a Petronas Trackside Fluid Engineer. Prior to Petronas, she was an asset care engineer at BASF PLC, where she was responsible for asset reliability and the general coordination of asset management plans.

Stephanie earned a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering with Diploma of Industrial studies from University of Bradford in 2016. Subsequently, she earned a Master of Science in Advanced Chemical Engineering from Imperial College London in 2017. She earned a MBA Essentials Certificate in 2019 from the London School of Economics.

Stephanie was chosen to represent the Mercedes AMG Petronas team on the Podium collecting the constructor’s trophy at the Styrian Grand Prix in 2020, it was a historic moment as she was the first black female to get the opportunity to go on the podium.

Having been the recipient of exceptional educational opportunities and recognizing the transformative power of education, Stephanie is very passionate about education and specifically ensuring access to STEM related educational opportunities and career trajectories. Stephanie is the first female fluid engineer at Petronas and a pioneer in this regard. She wants to ensure that future female engineers are exposed to the myriad of career opportunities and is passionate about diversity and inclusion in the racing sphere.

Lauren Averill

Lauren graduated from the University of Bradford in 2021 with a First-Class (Hons) BEng in Chemical Engineering. She is now working as a Project Engineer at AllWater Technologies. She is responsible for designing bespoke water and effluent treatment processes for a variety of industrial clients, in industries such as Aerospace, Metal Finishing and Can Manufacturing. Responsibilities also include project management of the company’s largest projects and assisting sales. She was part of the winning team of the IChemE’s SEISO medal in 2021.

A message of support from Lauren’s employer is below – note that AllWater Technologies have supported this event both in in terms of Lauren’s time and expenses, for which we thank them.

We are delighted to support our Graduate Project Engineer, Lauren Averill, at the forthcoming ‘Girls in Engineering’ event. The world of engineering has traditionally been seen as a male dominated zone however the scope of opportunities that it provides is almost endless and surely one that we could all be interested in – if perhaps we all knew just a little more about it? Opening this door, reducing the mystique and understanding the impact of engineering on our everyday lives is a critical step in inviting interest, and providing role models for future generations, is a very valuable way of creating new awareness.

It is great to see that the number of women now working in core STEM jobs is increasing but there is certainly some way to go yet and if we can assist, by supporting young professionals like Lauren, then we are happy to do so.

Sue Fisher
Operations Director
www.allwatertreatment.co.uk

Aysha Khan

Aysha Khan has completed her MEng in Chemical Engineering from the University of Bradford and won best design and research awards in both her Batchelors and Masters theses, graduating in 2022.

Her passion and dedication for her work is allowing her to make a positive contribution and excel in her current role as a Process Engineer in the water sector. She really enjoys connecting and networking with people and likes to spend her free time baking and doing wider reading.

Zoya Raja

Zoya Naz Raja graduated from the University of Bradford in 2021 with a BSc (Hons) Computer Science. She now works as a Product Analyst at AND Digital, a British tech consultancy. She is passionate about the city of Bradford and giving back to the community so is proud to be an Alumni Ambassador for the University.