IET Young Woman Engineer of the Year Awards 2019

Duration: 1 hr
Publication date: 05 Dec 2019
Part of series Young Woman Engineer YWE

Abstract

Tune in live to this year’s ceremony and be inspired by the most influential people working in engineering and technology today.

The night will be hosted by inspirational speaker, comedian and television presenter Sandi Toksvig OBE, who is best known for hosting Channel 4's Great British Bake Off and BBC's QI.

We'll also be joined by TV personality and presenter June Sarpong MBE one of the most recognisable faces of British television before the 2019 winners are announced.

This is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate and be inspired by the achievements of some of the young women who are set to shape the future of our industry, and see how they are working tirelessly to promote diversity and inclusion across the engineering and technology profession.

This years finalists are:

- Charlotte Buffey, Material Laboratories Degree Apprentice, Rolls-Royce

- Shrouk El-Attar, Electronic Design Engineer, Renishaw

- Ying Wan Loh, Manufacturing Engineering Team Leader, Rolls-Royce

- Dr Claire Lucas, Director of Studies - Systems and Information Engineering, University of Warwick

- Samantha Magowan, Engineering Apprentice, Dale Power Solutions

- Amber O'Connor, Engineering Programme Manager/Equipment Health Monitoring & Performance, Siemens

Keywords:: #IETywe

Apprentice

Diversity

Empower

Engineering

Equal opportunities

Gender balance

Gender pay gap

Women in Engineering

YWE

Channels

IET News

Speakers

Sandi Toksvig

The night will be hosted by inspirational speaker, comedian and television presenter Sandi Toksvig OBE, well known to UK audiences as a broadcaster having begun her career in children’s television playing Ethel in the long running Saturday morning show Number 73.
June Sarpong
Dr Peter Bonfield

Dr Peter Bonfield OBE FREng BSc MSc PhD CEng FIET joined The University of Westminster as Vice-Chancellor and President in May 2018. He joins a University with a proud and distinctive reputation which dates back to 1838, which has focussed on teaching and research for students from diverse backgrounds. Prior to this he worked Chief Executive of the BRE Group of companies who conduct multi-disciplinary research, training and education in the built environment sectors in the UK and around the world. Prior to this he was a Research Officer at the University of Bath on wind energy.From 2006 until 2012 he was on part-time secondment to the Olympic Delivery Authority where he co-created the sustainable development strategy and took the lead on the sustainable procurement of construction products.Peter has conducted 4 Independent Reviews for UK Government since 2012. These include UK Forests and Woodlands (Grown in Britain), Public Sector Food Procurement, Flood Resilience, and Consumer Protection on Energy Efficiency and Renewable Technologies (Each Home Counts). He has also served on the Government’s Grenfell Expert Panel focussed on broader UK people fire safety. He served as a Non-Executive Director of Defra from 2015 and 2018 and the Talent Advisory Group which focuses on development, retention and recruitment of civil servants.OBE for services to research and innovation in the construction industry. Honorary Doctor of Engineering, Bath Univ. and Hertfordshire Univ. Honorary Doctor of Science, Loughborough Univ. And Napier Univ. Fellow; Royal Academy of Engineering; Institution of Civil Engineers; Institution of Engineering and Technology; Institute of Materials. Deputy President and Trustee IET. Honorary Fellow, Institution of Structural Engineers and Chartered Association of Building Engineers.Peter is a former National Cycling Champion. He has coached many cyclists and triathletes including the Women’s 2004 Olympic Triathlon Team. He is a former sports journalist.
Sophie Harker

Young Woman Engineer of the Year
Wg cdr Glynis Dean

Wing Commander Glynis Dean led the Royal Air Force Youth and Diversity Team from its inception in 2008, until she retired in Dec 2018.Glynis was among the first to recognise that a growing gap in the availability of STEM skills nationally would impact the long-term future of the RAF. She identified that addressing the gender imbalance across technical trades offered the best route to addressing this problem and was so persuasive in her argument that the Chief of Air Staff funded the establishment of a Youth and Diversity capability at RAF Cranwell. From that humble start, Glynis grew the RAF Youth and Diversity programme, with the driving aim of encouraging more girls to select STEM subject choices at GCSE and consider a career in engineering. The programme was deliberately pitched at students of 14 years and under, as part of a long-term plan to redress the STEM skills gap; essentially investing in young people 6-8 years before they would enter the jobs market. This investment required a substantial ‘leap of faith’ in terms of resource allocation, but one the RAF made largely because of the passionate argument put forward by Glynis.An early landmark of the programme was the first STEM Residential for girls held on an RAF base. The course, for 40 girls age 14, was delivered at RAF Cosford in 2008, in partnership with Women Into Science and Engineering. The course was so successful that 3 more rapidly followed, and by 2018 the team were delivering 11 courses a year, a minimum of 3 specifically for girls, and 2 with a strong BAME focus. The RAF STEM Residential programme has now reached over 2,500 students, nearly 1,600 of which were girls, and over 2,000 achieved a British Science Association Silver Crest Award and a silver Industrial Cadet Award. Whilst tracking students engaged in the youth space is extremely problematic, we know that 18 former students are now serving in the RAF and over 100 others have contacted the team over the years to tell us that this programme provided the inspiration for their choice of an engineering career.In 2010 this residential programme won a Business in the Community (BITC) Inspiring the Workforce of the Future Award. Key to the growth of the programme were partnerships with like-minded organisations, many of which endure to this day. First among them was a joint programme with BAE to deliver a theatre-based STEM Roadshow, which in 2018 reached the milestone 1 million students engaged since 2008. Also, in 2018 the programme sponsored its 100 Arkwright Scholar and celebrated our status as having awarded more Industrial Cadet Awards than any other organisation. Other key partnerships include the Women’s Engineering Society, the Institute of Engineering and Technology, the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAE), the Institute of Physics (IoP), STEM Learning (formerly STEMnet) and Primary Engineer.In 2012 Glynis’ extraordinary achievements were recognised by the award of an MBE.In 2013 Glynis wrote a paper entitled, ‘Drawn from the Society it Serves’, laying out proposals to improve BAME representation in the RAF. The reaction was immediate, included a doubling of the team’s budget and additional resource. BAME specific engagements followed, mirroring those already in place for girls.The programme won the BITC Inspiring the Workforce of the Future award again in 2014 (gender) and 2015 (BAME). The European Diversity Award for inclusivity and promoting diversity in 2014 and the BITC Recruiting Diverse Talent award in 2016. Additionally, the RAF Youth STEM Programme was cited as best practice both for STEM and inclusivity by Government wide audit in 2014 and 2016. This unparalleled success led directly to the Inspire theme of the RAF 100 celebrations in 2018, where Youth STEM engagement was at the heart of the largest youth engagement programme ever delivered by the UK military and the largest Youth STEM programme ever delivered in the UK.When Glynis retired in 2018, she handed over a Youth STEM programme that is second to none. A programme conceived through her own insight and brought to life through peerless passion and tireless commitment. Reaching just 200 students in 2008, the programme reached over 2 million students in 2018, thousands of which have gone on to technical careers. Glynis retired in the certain knowledge that she had made a tremendous difference to thousands of lives and changed the perception of girls in engineering forever. The programme continues as her legacy.
Ying Wan Loh

Ying Wan Loh works as a civil aerospace manufacturing engineer at Rolls-Royce plc. She joined the graduate scheme in 2015, gaining experience in areas such as Lean Six Sigma, quality management, external supply chain and technology strategy development.After completing the graduate scheme, she was selected to join the extended development scheme in the company.During her first attachment, she worked as a manufacturing improvement lead, where she led operational improvements in a complex manufacturing environment and delivered over £1 million in total cost savings. She worked closely with operators and engineers to drive continuous improvement projects and embed a sustaining data-driven approach to problem-solving on the shopfloor. During her second attachment, she is a manufacturing team leader, where she led a team to reduce non-conforming parts in the factory. She is accountable for £3 million worth of inventory. She is also responsible for the recruitment, health and safety, performance review and professional development of team members. In this role, she has successfully released cash value of £2 million from slow-moving parts and supported the plant to achieve 40% more parts delivered.Ying completed an MPhil in Industrial Systems, Manufacture and Management at the University of Cambridge. During this time, she co-founded a technology startup that developed rapidly within a year and won the CSSA UK High-Tech Entrepreneurship Bronze Award. In addition, she also published her dissertation work on technology intelligence in peer-reviewed journals and conferences. Prior to that, she studied at the University of Glasgow and graduated top of the class with a BEng (Hons) in Mechanical Design Engineering.Outside work, Ying is very active in extracurricular activities. Since 2017, she represents the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) Young Members Board to participate in the Professional Development Standards Committee. This committee sets the global standards for professional chartership accreditation. Her role involves providing a young engineer’s perspective to the committee, informing strategy and influencing decisions regarding the chartership process. As a keen STEM ambassador, she also participated in a social mobility coaching program through the Royal Academy of Engineering.Since a young age, Ying is a theatre enthusiast and have taken on different roles, from director, scriptwriter to being an actor. She has organised over 25 theatre productions in her spare time. Being in the arts sector requires her to think critically and creatively.She aspires to combine her passion in arts and engineering to engage and inspire the next generation of engineers.
Sophie Harker

Young Woman Engineer of the Year
Wg cdr Glynis Dean

Wing Commander Glynis Dean led the Royal Air Force Youth and Diversity Team from its inception in 2008, until she retired in Dec 2018.Glynis was among the first to recognise that a growing gap in the availability of STEM skills nationally would impact the long-term future of the RAF. She identified that addressing the gender imbalance across technical trades offered the best route to addressing this problem and was so persuasive in her argument that the Chief of Air Staff funded the establishment of a Youth and Diversity capability at RAF Cranwell. From that humble start, Glynis grew the RAF Youth and Diversity programme, with the driving aim of encouraging more girls to select STEM subject choices at GCSE and consider a career in engineering. The programme was deliberately pitched at students of 14 years and under, as part of a long-term plan to redress the STEM skills gap; essentially investing in young people 6-8 years before they would enter the jobs market. This investment required a substantial ‘leap of faith’ in terms of resource allocation, but one the RAF made largely because of the passionate argument put forward by Glynis.An early landmark of the programme was the first STEM Residential for girls held on an RAF base. The course, for 40 girls age 14, was delivered at RAF Cosford in 2008, in partnership with Women Into Science and Engineering. The course was so successful that 3 more rapidly followed, and by 2018 the team were delivering 11 courses a year, a minimum of 3 specifically for girls, and 2 with a strong BAME focus. The RAF STEM Residential programme has now reached over 2,500 students, nearly 1,600 of which were girls, and over 2,000 achieved a British Science Association Silver Crest Award and a silver Industrial Cadet Award. Whilst tracking students engaged in the youth space is extremely problematic, we know that 18 former students are now serving in the RAF and over 100 others have contacted the team over the years to tell us that this programme provided the inspiration for their choice of an engineering career.In 2010 this residential programme won a Business in the Community (BITC) Inspiring the Workforce of the Future Award. Key to the growth of the programme were partnerships with like-minded organisations, many of which endure to this day. First among them was a joint programme with BAE to deliver a theatre-based STEM Roadshow, which in 2018 reached the milestone 1 million students engaged since 2008. Also, in 2018 the programme sponsored its 100 Arkwright Scholar and celebrated our status as having awarded more Industrial Cadet Awards than any other organisation. Other key partnerships include the Women’s Engineering Society, the Institute of Engineering and Technology, the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAE), the Institute of Physics (IoP), STEM Learning (formerly STEMnet) and Primary Engineer.In 2012 Glynis’ extraordinary achievements were recognised by the award of an MBE.In 2013 Glynis wrote a paper entitled, ‘Drawn from the Society it Serves’, laying out proposals to improve BAME representation in the RAF. The reaction was immediate, included a doubling of the team’s budget and additional resource. BAME specific engagements followed, mirroring those already in place for girls.The programme won the BITC Inspiring the Workforce of the Future award again in 2014 (gender) and 2015 (BAME). The European Diversity Award for inclusivity and promoting diversity in 2014 and the BITC Recruiting Diverse Talent award in 2016. Additionally, the RAF Youth STEM Programme was cited as best practice both for STEM and inclusivity by Government wide audit in 2014 and 2016. This unparalleled success led directly to the Inspire theme of the RAF 100 celebrations in 2018, where Youth STEM engagement was at the heart of the largest youth engagement programme ever delivered by the UK military and the largest Youth STEM programme ever delivered in the UK.When Glynis retired in 2018, she handed over a Youth STEM programme that is second to none. A programme conceived through her own insight and brought to life through peerless passion and tireless commitment. Reaching just 200 students in 2008, the programme reached over 2 million students in 2018, thousands of which have gone on to technical careers. Glynis retired in the certain knowledge that she had made a tremendous difference to thousands of lives and changed the perception of girls in engineering forever. The programme continues as her legacy.

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