The engineering sector has long been known as a particularly male-dominated industry and at Ventus Energy, we’re determined to make the industry a more diverse place to work. We recognise that a big part of promoting gender equality and inspiring the next generation of women to pursue an engineering career involves raising the visibility of women working in this field.

To celebrate this year’s International Women in Engineering Day, we sat down with Jemma Calvin, our Project Engineer, and asked her to share more about the challenges she’s overcome as a female engineer, as well as how she thinks the industry could be made more inclusive…

What inspired you to choose this career path?

“Looking back, I knew deep down that this is what I wanted to do. I remember seeing wind turbines and thinking ‘I’d love to work on one of those’, but it took a while to realise that a career in engineering was even an option for me. You would only really hear of men going into engineering roles, and people would say to me that working on turbines is a really niche job, so I never really thought it would be possible for me.

“Eventually I came to the realisation that I'm actually good at everything that an engineer needs to do; like the more practical, hands-on type of tasks, and I love knowing how things work and the way each component affects one another. It was an interest that came quite naturally to me so I thought ‘well, why not become an engineer?’”

Tell me about your career in engineering and what led you to your current role?

“When it came time to apply for university, I managed to get into an engineering course in Belfast which specialised in aerospace. I loved what I was learning about so I knew I was on the right path in my career.

“After graduating, I was really keen to work in the renewables sector because I’ve always wanted my work to have a positive impact. So, while I was working as a quality engineer for an aerospace company based in Singapore, I studied a course in renewable energy engineering at Ulster university.

“When I saw a job vacancy for Ventus Energy, I knew I had to go for it because there aren’t that many renewable energy roles based here in Belfast. Fortunately, they saw potential in me and I was offered a project engineering job, which has been my role since January 2023.”

What are your main responsibilities as a project engineer?

“My role is pretty varied as I get to support a number of different teams within the company, which is great exposure. I support the asset management team, the projects team, the control room and the HSEQ side of the business with things like auditing.

“Day to day, I’m supporting senior engineers when it comes to operations and maintenance, getting involved in tendering, risk assessment and method statements (RAMS) to deliver scopes of work, as well as carrying out maintenance on the turbines and identifying trips and faults.

“I had to pick a favourite part of my job, it would be getting the opportunity to support all aspects of the business, as this gives me knowledge and experience of the full workings of Ventus Energy.”

What challenges have you faced as a woman in engineering, and how have you overcome them?

“In a previous job, where the company was mostly made up of men from a more traditionally minded generation, it seemed that the general consensus was that women didn’t really belong in an engineering role. That would never have stopped me from becoming an engineer and it’s something I’ve gotten used to over time, but it did mean that I had to have my guard up a bit in order to protect myself.

“It was quite challenging knowing that if I went to work onsite, I was probably going to be the only woman there. It maybe doesn’t sound like much of an issue on the surface, but when you’re in the minority and you’re going offshore or to a remote location where, if you do experience sexism, you can’t physically get away from it, there’s a level of mental energy and worry that can be quite consuming.

“Even on the most basic, yet personal level, I’ve worked on wind turbines with six other men where there’s no toilet and very little privacy. These things aren’t as much of an issue for men but as a woman, I used to find that quite difficult at first. I’ve got a lot of respect for women who work offshore full time because it’s not always easy.

“The way I’ve overcome these challenges is letting my hard work and my skillset speak for itself, so hopefully people I work with can see that more than they see my gender. I don’t let any fear of judgement or sexism stop me from being an engineer; I go and I get the job done, and put all my focus into the task or the project that I’m there to do.”

What achievements in your career are you most proud of?

“Since I’m nearer the beginning of my career, I’m hoping that there will be a lot of proud moments to come in the future. But so far, I think my biggest achievement has been learning to speak up for myself and have confidence in my abilities despite the challenges I’ve experienced.

“Because engineering is a male dominated industry, I’ve had instances in previous roles where a client would only address the male colleague sitting beside me, or I didn’t feel like I could have the same kind of working relationship and banter that the men could have with each other because of how it might be perceived since I’m a woman.

“Over time I’ve learned to not shrink myself because I’m the only woman in the room. I’ve gotten better at putting myself out there, introducing myself to clients and letting them know my responsibilities as opposed to letting my male colleagues speak for me. I also now work with a team of male colleagues who have a lot of respect for me, and would politely correct anyone who overlooked my role if that ever happens. Again, it may not seem significant but when you’re in the minority, things like this are actually quite significant achievements.”

What changes would you like to see to make the engineering field more inclusive for women?

“It’s a tricky one, because obviously there are women in engineering roles, so it’s not that we aren’t capable or can’t do it; it’s more that there isn’t enough coverage for women to see that it’s possible for them.

“I didn’t know of any other women who chose this as their career, so I didn’t have that example to look up to and see that it was possible for me. Whereas, I think if I had seen more women in engineering when I was younger, I would have been more certain a lot sooner that this was the path I wanted to go down.

“Of course, if you want something enough you’ll go for it and overcome the barriers that are in your way, but I think it’s very important to have an example that you can aspire to. I wonder how many more young girls would feel confident to take up a career in engineering if there was more visibility of the women who are working in this sector already.”

What advice would you give to young women considering engineering as a career?

“I think my biggest piece of advice would be to just go for it if it’s the career that you want, regardless of what others think or any obstacles that might be in your way. My mum raised me and my siblings to be independent and pursue the things we wanted to do in life, however, my grandad was a bit concerned with me going into such a male dominated industry and couldn’t understand why I wanted to do that at first. Whereas now he loves it and tells everyone that his granddaughter is an engineer, so I’m glad I didn’t let his initial concerns put me off.

“I would also say it’s really important to find a strong support network. I was the only girl in my class at university, but I met my best male friend on the first day which made a big difference. Then, joining the team at Ventus Energy helped me grow my support network even more.

“As a woman - but also as a gay woman - I’ve had jobs where I’ve not felt very comfortable to be myself in. I didn’t think I would disclose anything about my sexuality at work, but since joining Ventus I’ve felt very supported which has allowed me to be a bit more open - everyone here is very accepting.

“Putting yourself out there is pretty daunting as a minority, but if you surround yourself with the right people, you realise that there are actually some very supportive men out there who do believe that women belong in this industry, you just need to be brave and make those connections early on to figure that out.”