Melissa strives not only to give back, but to support others on their career journey, and promote the vast opportunities available in the ever-expanding world of engineering, something that was lacking at the start of Melissa’s career.
Melissa’s route into engineering could be considered unconventional. With a love for maths and science, and a passion for anything creative, she tried out a number of different career paths, including medicine and marketing, before realising that engineering was perfect for her.
Melissa explains how crucial her work experience was in helping her make her career choice. Having the opportunity to try out a variety of work experience roles which drew on her subjects of interest, Melissa was able to get a feel for what different types of jobs entailed.
I am a creative person and throughout school I excelled in science and maths-based subjects, and wanted a career that bridged the subjects that I was passionate about. Deciding on a career path was something I found difficult, but eventually I found Engineering, which relies on having a technical understanding, and brings individual insights and creativity to develop multifaceted solutions.
Melissa, originally from the Maldives, believes that influences in our lives guide us and give us purpose, which can have an impact on our career choices.
Growing up, she was inspired by her father, who spent over 24 years working in the aviation industry, and her grandfather, a retired Mechanical Engineer. As a child Melissa also travelled extensively, which fuelled her passion for aviation. This, paired with her work experience, reinforced her decision to study Aeronautical Engineering at the University of Salford. The university provided a nurturing environment for her interests, offering opportunities for work experience and self-development.
Melissa explains the importance of role models and the part they play in changing mindsets and breaking stereotypes. It was important for Melissa to be a role model and promote STEM alongside her career in design engineering, and she felt the best way she could do this was by being in complete control of her work choices, which led to the inception of Techwuman.
Techwuman is an engineering company that gives back to the industry – we help to change the perception of an engineering career by showcasing the variety of engineering opportunities available and support, not only females but also males going into engineering.
Techwuman, of which Melissa is Managing Director, specialises in security design for critical national infrastructure, project management and design engineering solutions. Their STEM initiative is dedicated to promoting STEM and mentoring young and prospective engineers, guiding them towards a career in engineering.
As part of the STEM initiative, Techwuman also delivers STEM activity days to primary and secondary school children throughout the UK in collaboration with private and government organisations.
Techwuman’s STEM activity days are effective at providing children with the opportunity to experience different aspects of STEM subjects in a practical way, allowing them to identify skills they are good at.
Elaborating on the effectiveness of Techwuman’s STEM activity days, Melissa explains, “It is amazing to see some of the ideas that the children put forward and implement into their designs. The process of discussing ideas, problem solving, adapting designs and testing is a valuable learning experience and enables them to believe that it is possible for anyone to become an engineer or work in a STEM industry.”
We have received great feedback, with a lot of the girls realising they have the right skills for a role in engineering. 70% of the Techwuman STEM Ambassadors are female. The interaction the girls have with a relatable female role model helps break the stereotype, inspiring many of them into engineering.
Whilst Techwuman continues to deliver these STEM activity days around the UK, Melissa would one day like to see them take root overseas, particularly in the Maldives which is close to her heart. She would also like to focus on upgrading her Chartership to a IMechE Fellow and is dedicating time for her application.
Highly accomplished, passionate, and generous with her time and skills, Melissa is an admirable engineer who has dedicated her time to not only building herself, but also building up others and leading by example. Melissa welcomes newcomers to the industry, encouraging them to shake off any misconceptions or feelings of ‘not good enough’.
Like Melissa, if you have a passion for maths and science, with a creative flair, there may well be an engineering role with your name on it waiting for you!
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