My name is Lavinia Stevenson; I am a design engineer who has worked within the Genuit group for the past 8 years.
This was my introduction into the industry, where I worked from a toolmaker apprentice to my current role. Outside of work, I have many different interests, including Pilates and pottery.
My journey into Construction started from curiosity: I have always been curious about design and the construction of everyday products. So, when it was time for me to leave school, I knew I wanted to delve into certain aspects of that.
I applied to Polypipe and was lucky to get my apprenticeship through them. This was a four-year course that focused on the practical skills of toolmaking. However, I knew that eventually I wanted to delve the design side so after work I put myself through a CAD design course so that I could learn the basics whilst completing my apprenticeship.
Initially, it was my dad who got me interested in engineering. He started as a toolmaker at Polypipe and has worked his way up. Growing up, I always admired his strong work ethic and analytical approach to problems and knew I wanted to do something similar.
Through working at Polypipe, I have been fortunate enough to partake in a variety of other opportunities. A key example was my Level 6 degree that I have just recently completed. This was extremely rewarding and allowed me to expand on my knowledge into a plethora of areas. I was also able to meet a range of people who worked in similar industries and learn from their experience.
Although the workload was stressful at times with also working a full-time job, I felt that ultimately this was rewarding and challenged me to sometimes alter my approach to time management in a positive way.
Another example was meeting Princess Anne to talk about my role as a woman in engineering. This was a particularly rewarding experience for me as an individual. I have also been fortunate enough to have been nominated for multiple awards throughout my time at Polypipe, one example is the Polymer Apprentice of the Year of which I came runner-up in 2021. I was also nominated for the G4C Higher Education Student of the Year in 2023 and was lucky enough to win.
I have also been able to give back to the community in a way by working at Polypipe. An example of this was when I recently taught at the UTC in Doncaster to their year 13 students to help with revision. This has allowed me to apply my skills in a new and exciting way.
My advice for women or young people wanting to get into engineering is to always be learning. This is not only through standard means of education, but through colleagues past experiences and projects. In doing so, you have to opportunities to learn new things and develop your skillset even if it’s an area you initially never contemplated.
As a woman going into engineering (from the age of 16), I was nervous about working in a male-dominated environment. However, I have found that locating a supportive environment and having the drive to progress and develop has allowed me to overcome these fears.
I have also seen positive progress in this area with a lot more women joining the industry. In fact, many of my female friends and even my younger sister have gotten into the industry and are thriving within their respective roles.
