Energising Diversity in Utilities and Construction to Mark International Women’s Day
Loretta Manuel, Energy Assets engineer
Energy Assets is helping to change the face of the utilities and construction industries for good, through a progressive approach that celebrates the contribution women make to its organisation.
The company, a leading independent metering services and utility network construction and ownership business, is a main supporter of the Womens Utilities Network, and has embedded equal opportunities within its values to ensure that no role is off limits for women.
Loretta Manuel, Communications Engineer
Among recent recruits is Loretta Manuel, the company’s first female field-based engineer, who decided to swap cocktails for communications technology to open up a new career in utilities.
“Before I joined Energy Assets, I spent 15 years in the hospitality sector in London, serving in bars and waiting on tables, but then I saw an advert for communications engineers…and I wanted to find out more,” said Loretta.
Soon she was recruited onto Energy Assets’ communications team, training to install automated meter reading loggers on industrial and commercial gas meters.
“At first, it was quite hard to get to grips with all the technical elements, but thanks to the thorough training programme and the support from everyone at the company, I soon realised I’d made the right decision.”
Loretta admits she still receives some ‘double-takes’ from customers when she arrives on site in what remains a male dominated environment, but she’s happy to be helping push the boundaries for women working in the energy sector.
She also gets a lot of interest in her new career from friends and she’s only too happy to tell them about what her job involves.
Said Loretta: “I just think that not enough women even consider a career as a metering engineer…it’s not even on their radar but I’m hoping to play my part in changing that. I find it a very rewarding job – you meet lots of people and the work is very satisfying.
“I also know that the company will help me achieve what I want to in the future - I know I can go on to become a meter installer, or maybe look at a completely different role, should I so choose.”
Breaking Down Barriers
Jennifer Faichney, Head of HR at Energy Assets, said that the success of Loretta reflected the company’s clear position that gender cannot be a barrier to recruitment or career progression. The company offers a diverse range of career opportunities, including apprenticeships, across its network of offices in what is one of Britain’s most vibrant industries.
She said: “We strive to be an employer of choice and this means enshrining equal opportunities for all and actively encouraging women across our organisation to fulfil their potential. This is a commitment we make publicly through our values and something we strive to ‘live’ every day through our corporate culture.”
Energy Assets is also an official sponsor of the Womens Utilities Network, which encourages greater industry diversity and opportunity for women in the utilities sector.
Energy Assets will also be supporting International Men’s Day in November.
