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Winning an IET Young Woman Engineer (YWE) of the Year Award can benefit your career and the engineering profession. One of last year’s winners, Gemma Dalziel, explains.
As an Apprentice Network Consulting Engineer, Gemma Dalziel entered the apprenticeship category of the YWE awards in 2016 and received The Mary George Memorial Prize for Apprentices.
Among her professional achievements, she has worked on several projects for high-profile financial institutions, completed her apprenticeship exams ahead of schedule and promoted engineering careers in schools and colleges.
“The YWE awards are a brilliant way to celebrate the accomplishments of women in engineering,” she says. “It was a great feeling to be announced a winner and to be recognised for my achievements as an engineer. The award has encouraged me even more to excel as an engineer.”
Since winning the award, Gemma has increased her networks and experience within the engineering community.
“One of the most memorable events for me,” she says, “has been attending the IET Annual Dinner and having the opportunity to network with inspirational engineers from a wide range of engineering backgrounds.”
The award has also given her a credible platform to raise the profile of engineering and highlight the fact that women make up only 9% of the engineering and technology workforce, supporting the IET’s #9percentisnotenough campaign.
She has met with key influencers - policy makers, teachers and parents – and contributed to the IET’s schools outreach activity to help inspire the next generation of engineers.
“Another great opportunity was meeting with MPs in the Houses of Parliament,” she says. “We discussed what can be done to increase the number of women studying and working within the engineering profession.”
Interested in joining Gemma in promoting engineering and becoming a role model for the next generation of engineers, while also gaining recognition for your own professional achievements?
The IET’s YWE awards are currently open to talented young women working within engineering and technology in the UK.
It’s free to enter and you needn’t be an IET member to apply.
Deadline for applications: 7 July 2017 17:00 (BST)
Apply online at www.theiet.org/ywe