Leap local wants young women to give engineering a go

BY ZARA STOUT

LEAP local Maura Joy, who is a high profile engineer working with Uisce Éireann, wants to encourage young women across the country to consider a career in Stem.

Maura, who has had an interest in science, maths and machinery since she was a young girl in school, is currently working as a senior portfolio manager in Uisce Éireann and has described how the company is committed to gender equality. ‘That is why we want to inspire girls and young women to explore engineering career paths, particularly within the water sector,' she said.

'It is fantastic that, here in Uisce Éireann, we have women in prominent leadership positions right across the business.'

Maura was encouraged to pursue a career in engineering by her maths and science teacher and now she wants to return the favour to the young women of Ireland by explaining how promising a career in engineering can be.

She explained how her position in Uisce Éireann has been a rollercoaster with huge opportunities to contribute to the development of the country.

Maura pointed out that there is a huge variety of career paths within the utility and she says that the opportunities
that the sector provides are endless.

Maura studied civil engineering at University College Cork and moved to the UK after graduation. However, she later returned to Ireland with engineering experience. ‘I was easily persuaded to move to just outside of Listowel, and that is where I have hung my hard
hat now,’ commented Maura.

Since her return in 1994, Maura worked for five years in the south on sewage schemes and then went on to land a job with Kerry County Council: ‘I loved working for the Council, and it was my first real taste of water services projects, from conception to handover to operation, including not least selecting the most appropriate solution and securing funding.’

After her time with the Council, Maura got the opportunity in 2013 to work with the then newly-established Uisce Éireann.

When asked what advice Maura would give to young women who are considering a career in engineering, she said: ‘Don’t be afraid to do engineering – give it a go. If you enjoy maths and science as I did, it would be fair to say you would have a natural capacity for it. If you are interested in big infrastructural projects, and how things work, you will really enjoy it. It also provides an excellent basis for careers in business, management and industry, so it is a very practical and flexible qualification.’