NWED case study: Amanda White, network officer at Northern Gas Networks

White joins the call for more women to consider careers in engineering

To celebrate National Women in Engineering Day taking place on Tuesday 23rd June, Northern Gas Networks’ (NGN) first female Engineer is calling on more women to consider careers in engineering.

Amanda White is an engineer from Northern Gas Networks (NGN), the north of England’s gas distributor, who became the company’s first female network officer.

White became joined the company straight from school in 1997, beginning her career in office support. However, she said she quickly realised her passion lay within the engineering side of the business after applying for the role of a customer liaison officer.

After becoming NGN’s first and only female network engineer White moved steadily upwards through the business and is now a network officer.

Passionate about promoting the fantastic career opportunities for women within NGN and the engineering sector, White recently held a ‘Women in Industry’ event to engage and inspire female colleagues from other departments, to make the leap to engineering.

White said: “Beginning a career with an established company at a young age is a great start. I had no engineering experience when I joined the company, but with the support of on-site training, a dedicated mentor and many courses later, I am gaining all of the experience I need to succeed. To go on a course is great, but to be on-site learning in “real” time is the most beneficial source of training as there is no substitute for experience.

“I think it would be great not only the sector but also for the local region to see more young women in operational and engineering roles.”

NGN launched an apprentice programme in 2005 to encourage more young people into the industry. It has since employed more than 100 recruits as part of its inspire Academy.