Women in Engineering

Today (Thursday 23 June) is the third National Women in Engineering Day and focuses attention on the great opportunities available to women and the valuable contributions that women make within this sector.

In support of the Day, we spoke to two of our own female engineers to find out more about them, what they do and how they got involved in the engineering industry.


Kelly Box, Technician

Kelly Box is a Technician working for the Underground and Plant team in Hereford. This team looks after the underground network and switchgear across Herefordshire. Kelly is originally from Merthyr Tydfil in South Wales but now lives and works in Hereford.

How long have you worked for the company?
I have been working here for 15 years now.

How did you start at WPD?
Interestingly, I started as a part-time Clerical Assistant to help fund a Nursing degree, but I’m still here after all this time and I’m glad to be.

After the first twelve months at the company, I was approached to join a new department to take on some electrical work. I then chose to go to college to study for a City & Guilds qualification in Electrical Engineering. The course was industry-specific and gave you a real understanding and appreciation of the electricity network. Since then, I’ve worked in project management, planning new connections jobs and have been a Technician at WPD for the last four and a half years. I have been lucky to have worked in a variety of roles and seen all sides of the business.

What are your main roles and responsibilities at work?
I help to look after the maintenance programme, which involves co-ordinating and supervising projects with the team to upgrade and improve the electricity network and keep lights on for customers. I also manage new connections which involve connecting or upgrading the electricity supply to homes and businesses in the area. I also attend faults and am authorised at high voltage level to carry out switching on the network which helps to restore supplies while also finding and isolating network faults.

What do you enjoy about the job?
I enjoy working with our craft teams on site and like getting out and about. I regularly have to meet with customers and it’s always nice to meet new people. I also like operating on the electricity network and dealing with the different challenges you face and get a real sense of achievement when you complete a job.

In this role in particular, I have to do a variety of jobs including managing finances, people and contractors – the whole package. No two days are the same.

What’s it like working in a male-dominated industry?
I’ll admit I found it a challenge at first. I am the only female engineer in the Hereford team and I felt a slight pressure to succeed, and prove to myself that I was capable of doing the job. Everyone in my team has been so encouraging and supportive throughout my time here.

What do you like about engineering?
It is a demanding industry which enables you to carry out a variety of tasks, and challenges you mentally. There is always an opportunity to learn. One day you may be sat in the office planning a job, and the next you could be out on a planned interruption or a fault!

Would you recommend engineering to women?
Absolutely. There aren’t enough women taking on engineering posts but there is no reason why they shouldn’t. There is so much to see, do and learn.

By having a mixture of male and female engineers within the industry, it will hopefully bring a balanced perspective and bring different ideas and opinions to the table. If I can do it, so can you!

What advice would you give to get into the industry?
Don’t be afraid to challenge yourself, engineering posts are not beyond anyone’s reach. There are plenty of opportunities in the industry you just have to take them.

If you are prepared to put the effort in, are determined and you work hard, you will reap the rewards.


Danielle Greedy, Network Strategy Engineer.

Danielle Greedy is a Network Strategy Engineer working for the Network Strategy and Innovation team in Bristol. This new team focus on identifying the long term strategic development of the network. Danielle is from Newport in South Wales.

How long have you worked for the company?
Almost 3 years.

How did you start at WPD?
I began the WPD Graduate Scheme in September 2013 after completing my Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering at Cardiff University.

What are your main roles and responsibilities at work?
My colleagues and I are part of a new team looking at the long term strategic development of the distribution network throughout all four of WPD’s license areas. My main role involves developing and analysing long term scenarios to identify strategic investment requirements and/or services that can be delivered by customers to address these requirements.

What do you enjoy about the job?
Our team works closely with other teams throughout the business, such as Primary System Design and the Future Networks team, to identify potential solutions to any issues we identify, so this gives me a good opportunity to learn more about different sectors of the business and broadens my understanding of the industry as a whole.

What is the biggest challenge?
In an industry that is rapidly changing, being in a job that involves studying the network means that every day is different!

What do you like about engineering?
I like that engineering takes teamwork and I work with all kinds of people inside and outside of the field. I am constantly meeting new people to solve problems and come up with solutions.

How did you get into engineering?
I didn’t know what career path I wanted to follow in school but I knew that maths and physics were the two subjects I enjoyed the most. I came across Electrical Engineering in a university prospectus whilst studying for my A levels and decided that this was an industry I could see myself working in. After my A levels I started my degree and during this time I undertook work experience at various engineering companies. I thoroughly enjoyed these experiences and applied for the WPD Graduate Scheme in my final year of university.

Would you recommend engineering to women?
Definitely. I would recommend engineering to anyone who enjoys maths and science.

What advice would you give to get into the industry?
Try and get as much work experience as possible during your school years and throughout your degree. You will also need good abilities in Maths and Sciences so don’t neglect these subjects in school or college / university!

Please visit our Careers pagesfor more information on how to join Western Power Distribution and become a future engineer.