Youth Ambassador Amelia: Being A Woman In STEM

Youth Ambassador Amelia has graduated and completed her mechanical and electrical engineering apprenticeship with Youth Friendly Employer Coca-Cola Europacific Partners. Hear from her about working in a STEM career…

About My Role

I’m a Mechanical and Electrical Senior Operating Technician. I completed my four year apprenticeship in 2022 but have been in the role for over 2 years (I was in the role during the last year of my apprenticeship). I work for Coca-Cola Europacific Partners so my job is to fix the machines that make Coca-Cola (and plenty of other drinks)!

3 Ways I Got Ahead In My STEM Career Journey

1. By completing an apprenticeship. This allowed me to gain the skills and experience I need to get ahead in my career as well as have my qualifications funded.
2. By choosing to study STEM subjects at school. I was lucky to have a school that had great facilities and options which allowed me to chose STEM subjects at GCSE and A-Level which got me ahead.
3. Completing work experience within the fields I was interested in. This allowed me to realise what I wanted in my STEM career. I enjoyed my experience but it also taught me what I wanted and gave me an insight into a professional working major outside of a school environment.

3 Challenges I Faced / Wish I’d Known About STEM That I Had To Navigate / Overcome

1. By being the first female within my role at my site. This was a learning curve for everyone as well as myself on how we navigate challenges together.
2. My role is physical and takes a toll on my body. I’ve come up with ways to make tasks easier and working with different tools. I also ensure that I rest and listen to my body.
3. Being overlooked and not being listened to. This could be down to my lack of experience but I used to feel overlooked and that my expertise weren’t appreciated. Now I ensure my ideas are heard in meetings and everyday I prove myself in my role.

3 Reasons Why I’m Glad I’m Doing The STEM Work I Do

1. Working with new and innovative technology.
2. The constant challenges and opportunities that my role provides.
3. No two days (or night shifts) are the same for me!

1 Thing I’d Say To Other Young Women Wondering If A STEM Career Is Right For Them

If you enjoy new challenges and want to push yourself then a STEM career is the right decision. There’s always a role within STEM and it’s the career of the future – we always need STEM now and in the future.