Celebrating our female talent

February 11th marked International Day of Women and Girls in Science and in March, International Women’s Day celebrates the achievements of women in all sectors.

At Aptus, we understand there is still work to be done to achieve better gender balance and are committed to providing recruitment and development opportunities for women across all areas of our business.

Laura Cassidy began her career with Aptus four years ago. We asked her about her route into the profession and her advice for those considering a career in the utilities sector:

Q: What attracted you to a career at Aptus and how did you secure the role?

I moved from London to Manchester 6 years ago and Aptus was the first job I applied for. I started in procurement, working in that role for 4 years and then an opportunity came up for a trainee project manager. I secured the role and now have a brilliant mentor and manager, Gary Mccoy. He has helped me so much over the past year, giving me confidence and pushing me to do things I never thought I would do.

Q: What does a typical day involve?

A typical day involves getting work planned into our programme, i.e., service connections, main laying, water and gas connections and remedial works. I manage on site teams, making sure they have the correct materials, equipment and PPE. I order all plant, reinstatement and materials to site. I do site visits, making sure everything is on track and attend site meetings with developers to discuss upcoming work. I deal with all types of people within the utility business; there’s a lot to get your head around.

Q: What advice would you have for other women and girls considering a career in science or engineering?

Go for it! Be confident and believe in yourself. It’s a tough environment and mainly male – a few are stuck in their ways but most site managers I have met have been lovely!

Always ask for help if you’re not 100% sure. Write everything down in a notepad – that has helped me many times. Oh, and if you are out on site, make sure you wrap up as it can get very chilly!

Our Managing Director Lisa Kerford has more than 25 years’ experience in the utilities industry.

Lisa joined Aptus in 2011 to manage the construction side of the business. She went on to become Operations Director before taking on the role of Managing Director in 2017. She said:

“Women are still in the minority in our industry and I’m keen to take all opportunities to highlight this and promote the utilities and construction sector as an attractive career option. Whilst awareness days are important, we should be encouraging women and girls to enter the profession throughout the year.

At Aptus, we’re passionate about investing in young talent through our training and apprenticeship schemes. I’d particularly love to see more women applying for our construction apprenticeship scheme and for technical roles throughout our business.”

Celebrating our many talented women across the business on International Women’s Day #IWD2023

Published on 8th March 2023