Continuing UKAS’s celebrations of International Women In Engineering Day we sat down with Natasha Dyer from the Engineering Construction And Physics (ECAP) section. Here Natasha speaks about how she developed a childhood interest in building things into a fulfilling career in construction and the built environment. She describes the different experiences and mentors that helped guide her towards her current role at UKAS, before highlighting the importance of visibility and supportive networks for women in male-dominated sector.
What first sparked your interest in the field of engineering?
I’ve always been very hands on and practical and loved building things, with Lego being one of my favourite toys growing up. Even when I was little I spent a great deal of time outdoors ‘helping’ Dad with gardening and maintenance jobs, before progressing to building a large summerhouse in my teens.
How did you turn that interest into an engineering-related career?
I took a slightly less conventional route into the construction industry by gaining a geography degree at university, where I focused on the geomorphological aspects to support my desire to do something more hands on. My first proper job after graduation was as a project assistant for a soil testing company, which played a pivotal role in determining whether a new site was fit to build on. I would go onto construction sites and use a variety of equipment (ranging from small hand held devices to larger truck-based machines) to test the structural properties and composition of the soil and then analyse the results back in the lab. I then spent a few years in testing and quality auditing roles for the toy, perfume and cosmetics industries, before utilising all my different experiences by moving into calibrating soil testing equipment. It was a very hands on and dirty job, but I really enjoyed getting stuck in with all the testing equipment again. Following promotions to firstly calibration then regional manager I joined UKAS in a role that combined my passions for quality control, testing and calibration with a balance of onsite and office-based work that suited me.
How would you describe your role today?
I audit the quality management systems for ECAP customers. I spend roughly half the week on site looking at how customers apply ISO standards, control their documents, keep their technical records up to date and adequately protect against bias creeping into their processes. The rest of the time I work mostly from home, reviewing evidence of compliance and managing assessments for around 25 customers.
Which aspect of your job do you enjoy the most?
I really like working with customers and giving them the best service possible. The project management element gives me the most satisfaction, particularly going through a process, ticking off a list and seeing the impact my work has on both a customer’s operations and engineering sector as a whole.
What’s been amongst the most fulfilling projects you’ve worked on?
In a previous role I was responsible for calibrating all the soil testing equipment being used in a power plant construction project. If I hadn’t done my job properly the field engineers would not have been confident the equipment was performing properly and delivering accurate results, which was crucial to the whole project going ahead. I also helped another previous company open a new office building and gain UKAS accreditation by managing the equipment and implementation of a new quality management system. That company is still UKAS accredited and expanding its operations today.
Was there anyone who either inspired or mentored you?
There was a quality manager at a testing company I worked for who always took the time to encourage and support me. She taught me a valuable lesson about owning my strengths, helping me realise that where I had previously been put down as ‘opinionated’, ‘forward’ and ‘strong minded’ that was in fact me being ‘passionate’, ‘tenacious’ and ‘ambitious’. I was also a member of a ‘Women In Construction’ group that made me feel part of a very supportive community. As well as providing a forum for sharing experiences, the group organised regular talks from women in positions of authority about how they got there, which served as valuable inspiration to me.
What industry developments are you keeping an eye on?
I’m pleased to see that more women are being appointed to construction and engineering roles based on the value and perspective they can contribute, rather than it just being a tick box exercise to get the numbers up. There is also increasing awareness being raised on how traditional industry norms can adversely affect women. For example, most PPE is designed for men and often doesn’t fit women properly, even in smaller sizes. Ill-fitting PPE stops me from doing my job properly and doesn’t provide adequate protection. So I follow and am encouraged by the work of people like Katherine Evans from Bold As Brass who advocate for PPE designed with women in mind.
Have you ever felt you’ve been treated differently because you’re female?
Both my school and university were always very encouraging with gender inclusivity and all my subjects were split roughly 50:50 male to female. However, when I started working out in the field I would often be the only woman on my team, which sometimes provoked different reactions from different industries. In construction, any discrimination I encountered was usually very direct, such as whistling or ‘jokey’ comments from the guys on site. In engineering I initially experienced a more unconscious bias. This ranged from only seeing job ads which mentioned ‘he’ in the description through to not being included in conversations because people assumed I didn’t understand what they were talking about. Back then I was also regularly challenged on what I said and felt I was constantly having to explain myself and prove my competence more than my male counterparts. Thankfully those behaviours are no longer tolerated and both industries are more conscious of the need to be more inclusive, respectful of ability and welcoming of new ideas, regardless of gender.
How does the sector encourage more women to pursue a career in engineering?
Visibility is one of the most important factors in attracting women into engineering. Women perhaps don’t realise the breadth and depth of the sector and the diverse range of opportunities that are available to them. A lot of positions are unseen and don’t involve wearing a hard hat all day. With increased awareness and a supportive community, the industry is well placed to help women find their niche and fulfil their ambitions.
What’s one tip you have for someone thinking of a career in engineering?
Find your “tribe” and build a network of like-minded people, including peers and mentors. Together these will be invaluable in supporting your ambitions and helping you realise your potential.