Engineering has been a male dominated sector for some time, gender diversity within education is historically poor for engineering-related courses and apprenticeships.
An analysis published by Engineering UK states that in the nine academic years leading up to the 2018/19 year, female engineering entrants were outnumbered 1 to 5, though they still accounted for 57% of the total student population.
As for apprenticeships, in one area of the UK it was noted that 61.4% of all apprenticeships undertaken were engineering-related, though only 6.8% were female. Electrotechnical apprenticeships were one of the least diverse, accounting for 17% of all engineering apprenticeships, though only0.5% were female.
In 2020 Keri joined Reeco as an apprentice electrical engineer.
Assisting in building and testing the electrical components of our Collaborative robot applications, Keri is currently studying for her level 3 Electrotechnical diploma at Newtown college. Keri continues to perform at the top of her class, achieving the second highest exam result for her most recent assessment.
Speaking to Keri, she says: “I’ve always grown up with more male friends, I think that made me more comfortable working in a male environment and now I don’t really think too much of it.”
In 2018 Keri competed in the World Skills Electrical competition, testament to her character and competitive nature. The competition was a good opportunity for Keri to showcase her skills and not only prove that she’s talented, but show that women can excel in sectors traditionally seen as male. “The competition was all boys, so walking into the competition I feltlike all eyes were on me as I was the only girl in there, but as soon as the competition started I didn’t really feel out of place, I stuck my head down and got on with it.”
Speaking on Keri’s time so far in Reeco, Natalie glover, General Manager at Reeco, says: “We are really pleased with Keri’s progress, she is exceeding in her role here at Reeco and goes above and beyond as well as in her college course. Keri represents the company well while onsite with clients and we are excited for her future and the path she has taken.”
During her time at Reeco, Keri has worked on a diverse range of projects. Most recently Keri went to site to help install nine Cobot application for Unilever, adding to this, she says: “Working on these projects is exciting, every station is different so I feel like I’m constantly learning. Being able to work with Reeco gives me a chance to explore other areas of engineering too, such as installation and working with the design team to help solve technical problems.”
Keri continues to excel in her role and Reeco are excited to continue supporting her growth and achievements.
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