Saltus Magazine Winter 2012 Page 27

S A L T U S M A G A Z I N E

2 7

THE CAREER

field of mechanical engineering is

typically considered to be, in the words of legendary
singer James Brown, "a man's world."

So you would think that BELCo Mechanical

Engineering Trainee Stephanie Adderley might
find herself feeling uncomfortable in such a male-
dominated profession. You would be wrong.

"I've always been in a male-dominated environ-

ment because of my schooling," she says. "It's never
bothered me too much. of course, there are distinct
differences between the way men and women work
and communicate though, and I sometimes think it
would be nice to have a few more females about for
a bit of diversity!"

The 26-year-old was one of the first girls to go

all the way through Saltus from P1 to SGY when
the School turned co-ed in 1991. She graduated
in 2004 before going on to study Mechanical
Engineering at Glasgow University, Scotland.

Stephanie joined BELCo as a summer student

and spent three summers learning the ropes before
being hired as a full-time employee. She is
currently in her third and final year of the Engi-
neer-in-Training programme, operated in connec-
tion with the Institute of Mechanical Engineers
(IMechE) in the UK. once she carries out quar-
terly and annual progress reports upon completion
of the programme next year, she can apply for
Chartered Engineer Status.

Her work in BELCo's Engineering Department

centres heavily on project management, meaning
that site work, reporting, contractor meetings,
plant tours for students, and research are all on
her weekly agenda. She admits there can often be
a lot of pressure placed on young employees in
any kind of work environment--especially in an
industrial workplace.

"There are people who have worked here for 20

years who have so much experience and knowledge
of what goes on and how things work, so there is
always pressure to keep up and I put a lot of pres-
sure on myself to do well too," says Stephanie, who
plays field hockey for the local Budgies and enjoys
yoga, travelling, art and design. "Generally, I'm at a
really good stage right now and the learning curve
is starting to flatten out."

The best part of her career, she says, is the ability

to make a difference. "BELCo is the major power
supplier on the Island, so how well the plant runs
affects all of us. I get to travel, too, which is a plus.
There are utility user group conferences which are
a real bonus to go to, because you meet vendors
personally who you have been working with over
email. You usually find out that all utilities are
having the same challenges and therefore you can
all work together to find the best solutions to the
problems out there."

Stephanie encourages other students to consider

engineering as a profession; she describes it as a
"versatile career."

"I think it is now being promoted more as a

career path as more people learn what engineering
actually is. The great part is that you can have your
engineering degree, do a few years in that field,
then get your MBA [Masters of Business Adminis-
tration] and get into the business side of things if
you want. There are so many options and so many
engineering fields to choose from."

Stephanie presented the BELCo Mathematics

Award at the SGY 2012 graduation, and was "so
impressed" to meet four students at the ceremony
who were going on to study "four different types of
engineering."

"There is a lot going on Island-wide right now

with regards to energy in terms of renewable energy,
alternative fuels, energy security, and, generally, how
power is supplied and distributed," she says. "It's an
important field--and I'm excited to be involved."

--Helen Jardine

Powerful career

Stephanie
Adderley / '04

`There is a

lot going
on in
terms of
renewable
energy,
alternative
fuels and
energy
security'

Stephanie Adderley at work at BELCO