‘Do not let anyone tell you that you can’t’
Ellie Hunt joined Stagecoach in an operations role and has now moved to engineering as an apprentice(Image: stagecoachbus.com)
To mark Women In Engineering Day, a Hull bus operator has shone a spotlight on the work done by three crucial members of its team. Karen Hubbard has a clear message for any local women considering engineering as a career: “Go for it!”
Karen, engineering administration clerk at Stagecoach East Midlands, said: “Everyone I have met is unbelievably supportive of each other and there are great working relationships. As someone who has worked in retail and marketing, where women are in the majority, there is definitely more of an opportunity to stand out in engineering, not to mention learning skills that will be much more practical to have for your life outside of work too.”
Karen’s role involves meeting new people, working within the engineering team and understanding the dynamic between engineering and operations. Meanwhile, Adele Wilkinson is an engineering administration clerk and her role includes inputting vehicle defect cards, as well as AdBlue (fuel) usage and covering stores duties.
Adele said: “My advice for other women or girls considering a role in engineering would be to just go for it and do not let anyone tell you that you can’t. Be proud to be a woman in engineering.”
Many engineers start as apprentices and Ellie Hunt has taken the popular “Trade Up” route, where she joined Stagecoach in an operations role and has now moved to engineering as an apprentice. She said: “I feel the Trade-Up scheme and apprenticeship, run by Stagecoach, is a brilliant idea.
“The hands-on experience is fantastic. The level of experience from the other engineers is amazing – they are all willing to share their knowledge to help me through my apprenticeship.
“The college side of the apprenticeship works well and is a mixture of theory and practical tasks.” International Women in Engineering Day takes place annually on June 23.
It was established by the Women’s Engineering Society and aims to be part of a global campaign to celebrate female engineers, advocate for greater diversity in the field, and address the industry’s gender gap. Find out more about working at Stagecoach at stagecoachbus.com/careers
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