Filling the gender gap: Female engineer’s road to success

More women are pursuing a career in what were once considered male-dominated sectors, while excelling in the field of their choice.

Clare Ferguson, Technical officer Proterra Group on her way to becoming an engineer specialising in roads. Thursday, October 7, 2021. Picture: Nev Madsen.

Times are changing with more and more women not only pursuing a career in what were once considered male-dominated sectors, but also excelling in the field of their choice.

Inspired by a family friend who is an engineer and took her out to sites as a teenager, Clare Ferguson knew she wanted to follow the same path before she even finished high school.

The Proterra Group technical officer has now been working in the industry for seven years and studying her honours degree part-time, which she is set to complete in a month.

And while the 25-year-old had noticed a shift in the sector’s gender gap, it wasn’t until she went to the wrong exam room that it really registered.

Clare Ferguson, Technical officer Proterra Group on her way to becoming an engineer specialising in roads. Thursday, October 7, 2021. Picture: Nev Madsen.

“I realised I went to the nursing exam room by mistake when I saw how many women there were, because my exams usually have about five women and 200 men,” she said.

“Engineering is still heavily male-dominated but in the past two years, this has really started to change and projects tend to run best when there is a mix of men and women.”

And while Ms Ferguson said the gender gap has never impacted her directly, she was pleased to see more young girls entering the industry, something she feels may be a result of the more focused approach to STEM education in schools.

The soon-to-be graduate who is majoring in civil engineering said her project roles vary from earthworks and drainage to road construction.

Clare Ferguson, Technical officer Proterra Group on her way to becoming an engineer specialising in roads. Thursday, October 7, 2021. Picture: Nev Madsen.

But the ambitious engineer was also recently announced as one of four state finalists in a Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia Queensland (IPWEAQ) competition.

Presenting her thesis on flood recovery, to 600 delegates and a panel of judges, Ms Ferguson will attend the annual IPWEAQ conference in Cairns next week.

As part of the research project, the technical officer has been travelling to Quilpie and Goondiwindi to collect damaged assets, process data and assist with reconstruction work post-flood.

“I’ve always been really fascinated by how the world works and how everything around us comes together, which is why I love engineering,” Ms Ferguson said.

“Being stuck in the office all the time has never really interested me, but I really like to physically see the construction happen and work with machine operators and supervisors and it’s nice to know you’re making a difference.”