Marking International Women in Engineering Day: 23 June 2025

Today is International Women in Engineering Day 2025, and at HSM we’re showing our support by celebrating and showcasing the fantastic women in our team!

The day is an international awareness campaign that celebrates the achievements of women in engineering and encourages more women to enter the field. The Women's Engineering Society founded National Women in Engineering Day in 2014 to celebrate its 95th anniversary.

In 2017, the campaign became international for the first time due to the interest and enthusiasm developed by the international audience, and International Women in Engineering Day (INWED) was born, enabling the celebration of women in engineering to become global.

Women engineers around the world are still hugely under-represented, with 2021 figures indicating that in the UK only 16.5% of engineers are women. INWED plays a vital role in encouraging more young women and girls to pursue engineering careers.

This year’s theme is #TogetherWeEngineer. The theme highlights the importance of unity in engineering, emphasising that collective efforts lead to innovative solutions and a more inclusive profession. It encourages partnerships among individuals, organisations, and communities to inspire and support women in engineering careers.

Meet our fantastic females…

Jolene Towner
Accounts and HR Manager

“My career began in accounts back in 2003 when I took on my first bookkeeping role at a local nursery. As my children grew older, I decided to pursue formal qualifications in accountancy while working three jobs - two with property companies and one at an accountancy practice. It took me over four years of hard work and determination to complete my training, all while raising four children.

Although I’m not engineering-trained, I’ve found it incredibly rewarding to work in an engineering company. Watching large-scale projects come to life and being part of the team that supports them from the financial side is exciting and fulfilling. It’s a great feeling to contribute to something so impactful, even from a non-technical role.

One of the biggest challenges for me hasn’t been the work itself, but the inner conflict many women face - wondering if we’re doing enough at home while managing careers. But I’m proud of what I’ve built, and I’m fortunate to work alongside a fantastic, supportive team where everyone plays a vital role in our shared success. It’s a great reminder that it takes all of us to bring these projects to life.”

 

Emma Swiatek
Quality, Health & Safety Coordinator

“I used to run pubs, but opted for a career change about 14 years ago and moved into quality. I started in inspection, moved into admin, then back to inspection. I worked as a quality technician for a few years, then quality manager, before joining HSM.

I’ve worked in lots of different manufacturing environments and HSM is a nice company to work for, there’s a good atmosphere, and great people. HSM really invests in their staff; they’re currently putting me through training courses that will enable me to progress here, which is great.

The advancements in AI are obviously making things easier in the manufacturing sector, but the world will always need engineers - the imagination and skill required to do what we do is vital. Engineering certainly makes for a very interesting career.”

Hannah Stenning
Accounts & Admin

“HSM is a very supportive company, always available to listen and they provide the Employee Assistance Programme which is very helpful too. Everyone is very friendly here and always willing to help - we are a happy and hardworking team! To any women considering a career in engineering, I’d say: go for it!”

Find out more about HSM and discover the services we offer…

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