International Women in Engineering Day: Qualifying Apprentice Megan Inspires Next Generation

In celebration of International Women in Engineering Day, we sat down with Megan, who is officially qualifying as an engineer this month. Megan reflected on her training, her perspectives on diversity in the industry, and her mission to inspire future generations of female engineers.

Megan’s journey highlights a changing narrative for women in STEM. Far from the outdated stereotype of engineering being solely manual labour, Megan’s transition into a design-focused role underscores the vast, diverse opportunities available to apprentices looking to shape the world through innovation.

Reflecting on her finishing the course, Megan admits to a mixture of excitement, nerves and relief, noting that she is eager to start this next chapter while feeling incredibly proud that all the hard work she put into her training has paid off. 

When asked during her interview what it means to be a woman in engineering today, Megan offered a powerful and refreshing perspective: “I feel proud to be a woman in engineering. Most women use the word empowered to describe being a woman in engineering, which I think is wrong. It’s saying that we were given an opportunity we didn’t deserve. But we do deserve it; we fought for it. “ Megan went on to credit past generations of women who proved themselves so that future generations could have these opportunities. 

That sense of pride extends directly into Megan’s day-to-day work environment, at Howden, ‘My employer and mentors have always supported me in every step of my apprenticeship. A saying one of my mentors used to say was “It doesn’t matter what you identify as, you are an engineer, and that is it.” It has always stuck with me because it doesn’t matter what I look like on the outside, I am an engineer, and that’s all the company sees me as.’  

Having helped host an International Women in Engineering Day session last year for local school and college students, Megan remains incredibly passionate about dismantling industry misconceptions. She points out that engineering is highly misunderstood, explaining, ‘Most people think of engineering as heavy labour, which sometimes it is, but there are other jobs within the industry. There are design engineers that do calculations, draughtspersons who create drawings, a production team that plan and organise all the work, product development who improve and find new ways to do things, and so many others Engineers are needed in every department of a business, not just the operational side.’ 

For students standing on the fence about a technical career, Megan passes down the exact wisdom her grandfather gave her when she initially hesitated to apply. I would ask why. This was the same question my grandad asked me when I said I wanted to do an engineering apprenticeship but wasn’t sure about it. He said “Why Megan? What is stopping you?” Megan shares that she originally associated engineering only with getting your hands dirty because that was the path her dad, uncle, and grandfather had taken. However, her grandfather opened her eyes to the wider industry, mapping out different technical fields before she ultimately chose a design role where she could visually create things. She also knew traditional higher education wasn’t the right fit. “I knew early on that university wasn’t for me. I have never been very good at sitting and thinking about how to do a skill or a job, I needed to actually do it myself. An apprenticeship allowed me to learn new skills and put them to use in a practical setting. It gave me experience.” 

Looking ahead, she sums up her ambitions perfectly: “To continue to grow. I hope to get my degree and continue to learn. I hope to create new things for my company to help shape their future. I hope to be a role model for the future generation.” 

Congratulations Megan on completing your training, we at Peterborough College wish you the best of luck as you embark on this exciting next chapter of your engineering career.