Elaine Dalgarno - WISE Young Women's Board 2015/16

Structural Engineer at Atkins working in the Offshore Oil and Gas industry

I am passionate about my career in STEM and sharing it with others, I want to encourage as many young people as I can into a career which I believe can take them anywhere they want!

I have been working with Atkins as a Structural Engineer for 3 years and currently work in the Offshore Oil and Gas industry. In my role, I look after ageing North Sea platforms and make sure that the structure is safe for the people to work on. This means that I get to go offshore and visit these platforms to check the condition of the steelwork.

I enjoy going into schools and talking about different careers available in engineering, I have been involved in Bridges to Schools, Rapid Response Engineering Challenge, Offshore Europe and careers fairs which promote engineering to primary and secondary aged school children. I enjoy these events as it gives me a chance to talk to others about why I chose my career and how much I enjoy it. I am also a Brownie Guider and look after a network of girls aged 7-11 with whom I often promote STEM subjects. I believe that engaging with young people and presenting the fun side of STEM subjects can help to get them thinking about possible career options.

I am an outgoing and approachable person, and am highly enthusiastic about my career. I really enjoy talking about what I do and being able to give something back to try to encourage the next generation to follow in my footsteps.