FEATURE
Real-world opportunities – Kayleigh Hullah , Alisha Massey , Sophie Dunn and Ruth McKinlay are all developing their careers at CF .
According to research , just 16.5 % of engineers in the UK are women 1 .
1 gov . uk , The Education Hub blog , June 2023
wealth of knowledge and experience both within her own industry and in academic institutions .
Most recently this has included guest lecturing at Teesside University and speaking to local GCSE and A Level students .
Ruth McKinlay , nitric acid mechanical engineer Ruth achieved a masters in mechanical engineering from the University of Leeds , before returning to work in her native Scotland then heading south ( ish ) to work for British Steel in Cleveland in 2017 .
She joined CF in January 2023 and has made a big impression in a short period of time , never afraid to make difficult technical decisions to resolve any situation or problem that she ’ s faced with .
What ’ s more , her kindness and empathy make her a joy to work with , according to Glenn Hardman , her line manager , and she ’ s also a great team member who consistently brings positivity and dedication to the workplace .
She ’ s represented the UK business at global level and , like Kayleigh , Ruth is also actively involved in delivering CF ’ s STEM programme , this time in primary schools with her highly popular after school club .
Laura Elsdon , shift operator One of only two female shift operators , Laura ’ s job is integral to the production of fertiliser and chemicals – monitoring and making sure that the water going to the whole site is clean and good quality .
Naturally inquisitive and enquiring , she ’ s brought a different outlook and skill set to shift , namely around safety and processes according to the shift supervisors .
This different perspective has been welcomed by CF and adds value alongside her male colleagues .
She ’ s also confident in challenging cultural norms , for example pushing for dedicated female PPE , a small yet meaningful change that is now adopted site-wide .
Sophie Dunn , apprentice instrument technician Sophie is a second year apprentice and was inspired by family members working in engineering roles to pursue a similar path . She left school at 16 to do a BTEC at
TTE which coincided with Covid .
Despite this challenging time , her resilience and natural talent shone through , although she acknowledges feeling like she had to push herself even harder to stand out and prove herself as the only girl on the course , in a traditionally male-dominated industry .
One of only three new instrument apprentices in the September 2023 intake , she is shining under the mentorship of Andy Clay .
“ She ’ s enthusiastic , a team player and keen to learn , always asking questions and taking an interest in the job ,” said Andy .
Alisha Massey , apprentice mechanical technician Alisha took a similar path to Sophie , joining CF as an apprentice from TTE in 2024 .
Fitting seamlessly into the extended maintenance team , her personality has shone through while she has been learning the role , and she has built up excellent relationships with her colleagues .
Showing great promise to be a successful mechanical technician , she has a bright future ahead of her according to her mentor Adam Cantwell , who said : “ Her attitude towards learning , initiative and self-motivation will ensure she succeeds .”
As these women build their careers at CF , they continue to break barriers and play their role in CF realising its vision to feed and fuel the world sustainably .
The voice of business in the Tees region | 51