International Women in Engineering Day - Our Stories

International Women in Engineering Day - Our Stories

Different nationalities are represented at Robert West but we all have engineering as our passion in common!  To support International Women in Engineering day we wanted to share some of our stories to provide inspiration to others.  The common themes that emerge between us are our on-going curiosity and desire to learn and how we have been supported by our parents, teachers and employers.  We hope you enjoy our stories.

Claudia

I first considered a career in engineering as I was interested in the behaviour of the soil, underground and construction sector.  The interest in geology began at school learning about how rocks and soil have formed over time and my university professors encouraged me in my career choices.

I have worked both in Italy and now in the UK and have noticed that project management techniques are more developed in the UK.

To date in my career I have enjoyed learning every day, the variety of projects and solving problems.  I find particularly interesting structures and geotechnics and love reading up about this and sharing knowledge with my colleagues as we seek to resolve issues.

Penny

My career in highway design was sparked from enjoying the subjects of technical drawing and art at school; my mother supported me in this.  I have enjoyed rising to the challenge of transitioning from drawing board to computer programmes and new technology.  It’s great to have a job where I enjoy what I do and that I find interesting; I like to keep up-to-date by reading the latest features within the software releases and attending webinars.

Valeria

The passion for my career choice came from a desire to improve the highways and transportation facilities and services in my home region in Italy.  My parents encouraged me to follow my dreams and interests and I am very proud to have developed my career, in both Italy and the UK, to the level where I can now support less experienced professionals. 

I am very interested in sustainable means of transport and, in particular, the role that autonomous vehicles play in our lives today and how this will develop in the future.

Robert West regularly run Continuous Professional Development (CPD) sessions and I enjoy attending these along with seminars and lectures from the Institution of Civil Engineering and Institution of Highways & Transportation to keep up-to-date.

Laura

My interest in Transport Planning was sparked by working alongside other Transport Planners when I was an Architectural Assistant and this was the catalyst for me to branch out.  I was always interested in design at school and this interest was encouraged by my teacher.  My Dad supported me throughout and instilled in me that you can do anything you want in this world – you just have to be willing to go out and get it.

I am in the early stages of my career but feel extremely fortunate to work on challenging projects with a talented team to around me.  I enjoy continuing to learn via CPD events and will shortly begin my work towards becoming an accredited Transport Planner with the help of my line manager and mentor.

  • Committed
  • Engaging
  • Professional
  • Confident
  • Adaptable

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