________________________________________________________________________________ Women in Manufacturing
Lucy Ackland is a Lead Product Owner at Renishaw plc , a pioneering engineering company specializing in coordinate measuring machines and machine tools . “ As a Lead Product Owner working on complex metrology software for the manufacturing industry , I am responsible for defining the requirements and then working with the development teams to implement them ,” Lucy opens .
Lucy started in the industry as an engineering apprentice at the age of 16 and has since had a varied and interesting career spanning production , measurement sensor design , metal 3D printing , research projects , and metrology applications .
“ As part of my apprenticeship , I studied part-time and gained a degree in Mechanical and Manufacturing engineering . I went on to win the Women ’ s Engineering Society Prize at the IET ’ s Young Women in Engineering awards and was named one of the top 50 women in engineering .
“ Over my career I have seen huge changes in the number of women starting in the industry and the focus now being given to Equality , Diversity & Inclusion ,” she reflects . “ There is still a long way to go but I ’ m happy to see the increasing momentum . I see mentoring opportunities for women in the industry as an easy way of making a big impact on progression , development , and retention .
“ I have had many amazing opportunities by having a ‘ yes ’ attitude , however I would encourage young women to learn when it ’ s right to say ‘ no .’ This is important to avoid burnout and to keep a focus on your personal development plan .”
Lucy ’ s career not only reflects the importance of apprenticeship schemes , but also speak to the ways in which companies can support women in their teams to further their careers .
LUCY ACKLAND
Lead Product Owner at Renishaw plc
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