Insights Inspired by women in Engineering

Meet Atkins apprentice Finty, who is two years into her apprenticeship at Atkins, a member of the AtkinsRéalis Group. She is also doing a degree in Aerospace engineering at the University of West England. We recently caught up with her about her experience and what inspired to pursue a career engineering:

What subjects did you like at school?
At school I loved Mathematics, Physics and Art (even though I was never any good at it!).

What made you decide to pursue your career engineering?
I have always enjoyed maths and mechanical maths, so it made sense for me to go into the world of engineering and as I researched more and learned that the number of women in the industry is considerably less than men, this just urged me on even more. I love a challenge.

What was it about Atkins that made you apply?
As the leading design and engineering consultancy in the world, what better place to learn. I thought it would be a perfect place to get to understand the world of work as I was fairly new to it as well as the world of engineering. What better way of learning about engineering than from the leading consultancy in it. Also, as Atkins is such a big company it gave me so many opportunities and different colleagues to learn from, which in turn taught me about networking.

Who inspires you at Atkins?
At Atkins, my Line Manager is a great inspiration for me! Having experienced so many different clients and projects, learning from her experiences and as a woman in engineering, is very inspiring for me. She pushes me to my limits and makes sure I am constantly exposed to new opportunities and encourages me to get involved in and learn about different experiences.

What's your view on the culture at Atkins?
Even though Atkins is a large company, it does feel like a family. Everybody is so friendly and willing to help or point you in the direction of getting the help you need. Whether its personal, project based, or you just want to learn more about something new. Especially in the engineering sector, there’s always someone there to talk. There’s always someone that’ll know lots about it and willing to talk or discuss questions or queries about theories or processes.

What is it about your job that inspires you?
As a consultancy Atkins has constant new opportunities and projects that walk through the door. This is great for learning new skills and techniques I never even thought I’d learn.

The opportunity to be involved in some huge and interesting projects and be able to say, ‘I did that’ or ‘I helped in achieving that’. For me that is very important, to be able to feel proud of what you have accomplished, and Atkins recognises that. Atkins are excellent at recognising great work.

Where do you see your career going?
After completing my apprenticeship, I can see myself going for Chartership as well as some day being Line manager to my own team. I think that would be a great achievement for me.

What do you think is the single best thing about working at Atkins?
My favourite part about working for Atkins are the teams I work in. Having such a wide range of skills and knowledge just from a handful of people and having everyone willing to share their experiences and skills they’ve learnt along the way. Especially being in the early stages of my career, the support, guidance, and teachings for me is a great benefit and helps me in so many ways.

What is the most exciting thing about engineering right now?
I don’t think I could name just one thing that is the most exciting about engineering currently. From ensuring electric cars can run for longer, reusable rockets being sent to space and artificial intelligence to building new homes on the sea in Brighton. The list is endless.

What would you say to someone who is considering a career in engineering?
I fully believe there are endless possibilities when it comes to engineering. It is the area to be in as it can affect every aspect of our lives, from how we travel to the way we eat, meaning a huge deal can be changed from just having the engineers there. Especially when it comes to helping the world become a cleaner and eco-friendlier place. I feel engineering is at the heart of everything solution.