Young Woman Engineer of the Year 2001 awarded

An IIE, The Institution of Incorporated Engineers product story

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Jan 21, 2002

Clare Roberts, a Design Engineer from Leeds, was presented with the prestigious title "The Young Woman Engineer of the Year 2001" at a national ceremony in London on 15 January 2002

Clare Roberts, a Design Engineer from Leeds, was presented with the prestigious title "The Young Woman Engineer of the Year 2001" at a national ceremony in London on 15 January 2002, sponsored by The Institution of Incorporated Engineers.

The talented 29 year old beat three other finalists to claim the title, which was presented by entrepreneur James Dyson.

With the title, comes the responsibility of raising the awareness of engineering as a career opportunity for women, a challenge that she is keen to face.

In Clare the UK now has a role model who has demonstrated how a talented individual with determination can succeed.

Women currently make up only 19% of all UK engineers, clearly highlighting the under-representation of women in the profession.

Clare developed an interest in engineering relatively late in her career, and it was her rapid progression from a clerical role to a full Design Engineer that has really impressed.

At the age of 24 working as a Clerical Assistant within a team of engineers, Clare found herself becoming frustrated when attempting to understand the technical jargon used by her engineering colleagues "I simply wanted to understand what they were talking about".

With no formal technical training behind her, Clare successfully presented a business case to her CEO in an attempt to persuade them to support her re-entry into education.

This ambition and sheer determination soon ensured that Clare became the first non-graduate ever to complete the Yorkshire Electricity graduate scheme.

Now, having completed an ONC and HNC in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Clare has firmly established herself within Yorkshire Electricity, "proving", as she said in her own words, "that engineering is no longer a man's world".

Clare's current role focuses on the design of minimum cost electrical schemes at the customer's request for high and low voltage connections.

She is a customer-focused engineer with a can-do attitude and innovative approach to the development of engineering solutions.

To quote her employer " she is an inspiration to others within the industry, and I have personally witnessed a great deal of interest and application by other clerical staff seeking to follow Clare's route into the profession".

Clare looks set to become an excellent role model for all young women, and is a worthy recipient of the Award, carrying a cheque for £1000, silver rose bowl and title of Young Woman Engineer of the Year.

Runner-up and winner of the WISE/IBM prize (WISE - Women into Science and Engineering) was Jane Stevenson, from Cathcart, Glasgow.

Jane is a Planning Development Engineer at BAE Systems Marine in Glasgow, and received a Cheque for £600 donated by WISE/IBM and a certificate.

A Prize for Special Merit was also awarded to 23 year-old Gillian Beamish, an Electrical Design Engineer at BAE Systems Aerospace at Warton, Lancashire.

She received a cheque for £300 and a certificate.

The Mary George Memorial Prize (awarded to a younger candidate who, while academically eligible, has yet to gain the experience and responsibility required for the main Award) was presented to Suzanne Hawkes a 20 year-old Development Engineer from Bedlington, Northumberland.

Suzanne, who works for Welwyn Components, received a cheque for £500 and a silver salver.

Jointly sponsored by the Institution of Incorporated Engineers (IIE), the Caroline Haslett Memorial Trust (CHMT) and supported by BT, this year's Award attracted a substantial number of high calibre candidates clearly demonstrating the high quality of young women now following successful engineering careers.