Engineering offers world of opportunities for women

Pursuing STEM subjects in high school followed by an engineering degree have been the keys to success for Portland Aluminium Metals Manager and Alcoa Women’s Network regional lead Narelle Burns.

A passion for maths and science at school was the driver for Portland Aluminium Metals Manager Narelle Burns to pursue a career in engineering.

After completing her first year of general engineering study, Narelle chose to specialise in chemical engineering given the broad application and job opportunities it offered. And while typically a male-dominated field, Narelle says there was strong female representation in her cohort at the University of Queensland.

“I was fortunate that the group I went through with was about 30 per cent female,” she said.

“Chemical engineering seemed to attract more women than specialisations like mining or mechanical engineering, and maybe that’s because of the variety it offers. You can work in mining, oil and gas, wineries or breweries, food manufacturing. It’s so diverse in terms of career options.”

Following completion of her studies, Narelle commenced working with Rio Tinto in Queensland, first in the coal group before moving across to aluminium smelting. She moved to Alcoa’s Portland Aluminium Smelter 16 years ago and has worked across many aspects of the business in supervisory and management roles.

Narelle says she has faced challenges being a woman in traditionally male-dominated fields, but credits other women in the industry with helping her navigate those complexities.

“I have had some really good role models all the way through my career, both at Rio and Alcoa, and seeing them in high level roles and having them give their time helped me see what was possible,” Narelle said.

“That included how they managed families and other life commitments alongside work, and it made me realise if they were doing it and doing it well, maybe that was a future option for me.”

Realising the value of role models and mentoring was one of the catalysts for Narelle to become involved in the Alcoa Women’s Network and today she serves as Australian lead. The group provides support and information to help other women across the organisation realise and embrace opportunities.

“AWN helps people connect with others, whether it's making mentors available or just sharing stories to provide inspiration and help others realise what's possible,” she said.

“We have women across our business and in very senior roles involved and that is extremely powerful for others just commencing their career journeys.”

Interim Australian VP of Operations Tanya Simmonds recently came onboard as AWN’s Executive Sponsor for the region.

Tanya agrees that mentoring can be a valuable tool to help women progress their careers.

“AWN brings together women and allies at all levels within the business and that’s particularly valuable in providing visibility of potential career paths,” she said.

“Being able to see what’s possible is one part of it, but equally important is having access to a network of women who may have navigated challenges through their careers and are willing to share their knowledge and experience to help others work through issues or develop strategies to improve opportunities.”

With International Women in Mining Day on 15 June and International Women in Engineering Day on 23 June, Narelle said there was no better time for anyone with an interest in joining AWN to do so.

“There are plenty of opportunities within Alcoa and across the mining, refining and smelting sectors and I am keen to see ongoing growth in the diversity of the workforce,” she said.

“I also encourage any women and girls who are considering study options to think about maths, science and engineering. There are some really diverse career paths available, opportunities to work internationally and some great rewards too.”