I came to engineering later than most, when I decided to return to work after having children.
Being a woman in engineering at G.Network.
At G. Network, we want our workforce to reflect the diversity of the communities we serve. This often means finding ways to attract talented individuals into roles they may not have otherwise considered. That’s why we aim to open up job opportunities that are accessible for all, through things like our reskillship and apprenticeship programmes.
This Women in Engineering day, meet Rokeya, Samira, and Imogen, three of our engineers who’ve entered the industry and thrived. They share how they joined G.Network and found fulfilling, challenging and rewarding roles in engineering.
I’ve recently become a fully qualified engineer through G.Network’s reskillship programme. I came to engineering later than most, when I decided to return to work after having children. Before this, I worked in retail, and I knew it wasn’t something I wanted to go back to. When I received the offer from G.Network, I was so excited to do and learn something completely new. Now, I’m part of the installation team, where I install our full fibre broadband into customers properties.
My parents in Bangladesh are so proud that I’m an engineer. But I’ve had mixed reactions from some of my friends, who told me engineering is not a job for a woman, or that women shouldn’t be seen working in the streets. Personally, I think women need to experience a job for themselves to know this. Since joining G.Network, I’ve felt comfortable and supported at work, and my colleagues, both male and female, always look out for me.
On a recent installation, the customer told me she was one of the first female engineers in the telecoms industry back in the 1980s. She was delighted to see that women are paving the way in engineering. As women, we often undersell ourselves. When I joined G.Network, I was scared that I wouldn’t be good enough to be a fibre engineer – but I did it! And when I see customers happy with their broadband – that’s the best part of my job.
Women should have the same opportunities as men to show their talents, abilities and follow their dream jobs.
I’m part of the Network Architecture team, where we propose how G.Network should roll out our full fibre network. I inform decisions such as the streets we could dig and where our cabinets can go using a technology called Geographical Information Systems (GIS), a relatively new technology that we’ve developed for our own use at G.Network. In general, it’s a technology that can create, manage, analyse, and map spatial data.
I’ve been interested in GIS technology since I first came across it while studying a master’s in water engineering in my home country of Iran. I moved to the UK to do a second master’s and from there, my goal was to be a role-model for other women in GIS. At G.Network, I’m able do this every day. I joined 3 years ago and since then, I’ve been recognised as one of the top performers.
As a woman who immigrated to the UK to pursue my passion, I’ve had to overcome language barriers and being far from my family and friends. But I think it doesn’t matter if you’re a man or a woman, or where you’ve come from, if you love something, just go for it! I believe that women should have the same opportunities as men to show their talents, abilities and follow their dream jobs. I’m proud to be pioneering this field of technology.
Representation matters and we need to show that all kinds of people can work in engineering.
I joined G.Network through the reskillship programme, where I became a fully qualified fibre engineer within a few weeks, with no prior experience needed. I’m now part of the installation team, installing our full fibre broadband into customers’ properties. Before this, I worked in hospitality and couldn’t figure out what I wanted to do – I just knew it wouldn’t be an office job. G,Network gave me the opportunity to try something completely new in an area I didn’t initially think would be for me.
There’s still a lot more men than women in engineering. But rather than being putting me off, I felt inspired to take the first step, to go first. Customers are often surprised when I they realise I’m one of the engineers, but I’ve had some great reactions. The other engineers were very supportive throughout my training and even now, I feel supported by them. I think the reason I was able to become qualified so quickly is because my male colleagues treated me as an equal and I never felt like there were any stupid questions.
If you’re even a little bit curious about engineering or fibre, it’s a no brainer to give it a try. You’re learning and fantastic skill and for me, I’ve found something I really enjoy. Representation matters and we need to show that all kinds of people can work in engineering.