International Women in Engineering Day

Inessa preparing with climbing apparatus.

Some of the best engineers choose to come and work at kp, and this International Women in Engineering Day (IWED), we’ll be celebrating colleagues driving excellence across our Food Packaging and Pharma, Health and Protection and Durables divisions.

Organised by the Women’s Engineering Society (WES), IWED is an annual celebration of women engineers; it is the largest of its kind and plays a vital role in encouraging more young women and girls to take up exciting engineering careers. This year’s theme, "Together We Engineer", highlights the importance of collaborating to build environments where women can thrive in engineering careers.

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At kp, we believe there is no such thing as a typical engineer and know there are many routes into engineering careers. However, as only 28.2% of the STEM workforce are women, we wanted to shine the spotlight on one of our engineering apprentices as part of our IWED celebrations. She’s an inspiration to us, and hopefully her story will encourage others to follow in her footsteps.

Read on to hear from Inessa Stein, an Apprentice Engineer (Plastics and rubber), in Germany, who shares how she started in engineering, what she loves about her apprenticeship, and some advice for the next generation.

What inspired you to pursue a career in engineering?

When I was in ninth grade, Mr Petermeier, the trainer at kp, talked to a group of us about engineering careers and introduced kp.

I thought it sounded like an exciting place to work, so I did a bit of research before applying for an apprenticeship. I’m now finishing my apprenticeship and am proud to say I start working in the production team this August.

What is it like working in engineering?

So far, all my experiences have been good. There is a lot to master, but the training at kp has been great. All aspects of the apprenticeship have been interesting but I’m really enjoying my time working in quality assurance. It so is varied and fun. I’m particularly proud of becoming a kp Safety Officer - opportunities like this allow me to interact with more of my kp colleagues and build strong working relationships. I also recently visited local schools to talk to students there. It was great to share my passion and experience with others. Hopefully we’ve inspired a few future engineers!

What advice do you want to share with young women considering a career in engineering?

At kp, and in engineering in general, the best solutions often arise when the people working on it have different experiences and ways of thinking. As such, we need more women to become engineers to improve this diversity of thought.

I know engineering can offer an exciting and varied career. I’d suggest anyone curious finds people working in this area to talk to - most people are very open, and engineering may just be the right fit for you!

And lastly, remember to follow your passions and pursue what you want to do. Not what others say you should do. Women have exactly the same potential as men, and nobody should ever underestimate what an individual can achieve.

At kp we reach the best solutions for our customers because of the collaboration between colleagues, who are diverse groups of people with different skills. We hope Inessa’s story may inspire you, or someone you know, to consider a future in engineering.

Get your career off to a flying start at kp

From the production floor to headquarters dotted around the globe, there are many roles at kp that can get your career off to a flying start. If you’re looking for somewhere to gain new skills and broaden your experience of the world of work, in an environment where you can be the real you, apply today. You don’t need extensive experience; it’s your passion and values that our team will be interested in.

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