International Women in Engineering Day 2021

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Today is International Women in Engineering Day (INWED). Brought to us by the Women’s Engineering Society, INWED is an international awareness campaign which helps celebrate the many excellent women in engineering and highlights the opportunities available in this exciting industry.

To mark International Women in Engineering Day, we caught up with Claudia Nordgren, one of our Assistant Engineers working within the Capital Development & Delivery directorate.

How did you come to work in engineering at SSEN Transmission?
I previously worked as an engineer in Sweden within the marine industry delivering projects related to the installation of exhaust cleaning gas systems. Before that it was the nuclear and oil and gas industry. I’m currently based in Glasgow and came to SSEN Transmission through the STEM returners scheme, which gets people who have taken a break back into STEM industries.

I wanted to change industry and the pandemic struck just as I had left my previous job. Although I had not consciously chosen to have a break, I am very glad I had one! It helped me put things into perspective and I took this opportunity to explore what I really wanted from a career and life.

What does your role involve?
I have always wanted to work in the low carbon/renewable industry and SSE and SSEN Transmission are front runners on this, so I am very pleased to have joined. I work as an Assistant Engineer in the Project Engineering team within Transmission. My role is really varied which I am really enjoying.

Which project are you most proud of in your career to date?
During my work in the marine industry the newly installed systems on ships had to be taken through a rigorous test. After a lot of work and coordination I was very pleased and proud to have successfully taken the vessels I was involved with through this test.

What are you most looking forward to in engineering in the next 5 years?
I’m delighted to have joined a business that is so passionate about delivering a transmission network for net zero. I’m really looking forward to further develop my career in the project engineering team and enhance my engineering knowledge by getting more involved in the RIIO-T2 portfolio of work.

What would you tell young people interested in a STEM career?
I’d tell them to go for it! Our industry has so many job opportunities in which you can develop your skills and take your career to next level. There are so many directions to change and adapt your career in SSEN Transmission alone, so I’d encourage anyone who’s interested to have a look at what’s on offer.

You can keep up to date with our STEM opportunities on our careers page or by visiting SSEN Transmission LinkedIn.