Renishaw Engineer among Top 50 Women in Engineering in 2017

Lucy Ackland, Senior Development Engineer at Renishaw, has been selected as one of the United Kingdom’s Top 50 Women in Engineering in 2017. The initiative is organized by The Daily Telegraph in partnership with the Women’s Engineering Society (WES) and employers in the industry. Results were announced June 23, 2017, to coincide with International Women in Engineering Day.

The Daily Telegraph’s Top 50 Women in Engineering was launched in 2016 to celebrate women’s achievements in the industry. The 2017 list is made up of outstanding female engineers under the age of 35, who have all made a significant contribution to the field.

Ms. Ackland joined Renishaw at 16 as an apprentice and went on to study Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering at the University of South Wales. She has worked on several major projects during her time at Renishaw, including leading the project team for the RenAM 500M metal additive manufacturing system, which was fully designed in-house. She has also helped partner universities, colleges and businesses to develop technology and training.

Ms. Ackland is actively involved in Renishaw’s education outreach program, where she has been a STEM ambassador for nine years. She now runs weekly events to inspire young girls to consider engineering careers and show young people where an apprenticeship can take them.

“Historically, women’s achievements in STEM have gone unnoticed, and this needs to change,” says Ms. Ackland, “The Top 50 Women in Engineering celebrates the great work done by women in the engineering sector. The awards showcase the amazing work that women are doing, highlighting how women are performing and achieving so much. Showcasing these achievements gives young women role models, challenges stereotypes and shows that engineering is an exciting career path.”

“Only 9 percent of engineers in the U.K. are female, a figure which puts us behind the rest of Europe,” says Chris Pockett, Head of Communications at Renishaw. “It is important to promote the achievements of female engineers to change the status quo and open up a new pool of talent to help solve the engineering skills shortage.”