For International Women in Engineering Day, we sat down with Rebecca Allen, Senior Supervisor in the Metal Department, to discuss how being a woman has affected her life at Kentec.

1. Can you tell us about your journey into Kentec/your role?

“I came to Kentec from working at McDonalds as a shift manager. So when starting at Kentec I knew nothing in engineering.

The support and training that was provided to gain knowledge and understanding from Kentec was great – very thorough.”

2. Can you describe a moment when you felt proud of your work?

“A moment I felt most proud of was when I was doing my level 3 management project. I lead a project to make the cleaning bay operation more efficient. It was a highly demanding operation in the metal workshop, and it was also monitored with health and safety equipment.

I have now eliminated the cleaning bay on almost all our boxes and some lids which has not only improved the quality and time spent on our products but also helped with staff morale.”

3. What challenges have you faced as a woman in your role, and how have you overcome them?

“To be honest I don’t think I’ve experienced any challenges in this regard – everyone here is very accepting. Everyone just gets on; everyone respects job roles; it doesn’t really matter about sex in the factory.”

4. What advice would you give to young women and girls considering joining the fire industry?

“Get stuck in and give it a try! Yes, there are more males than females but since starting with Kentec over 7 years ago, the number of women has steadily been increasing.”

5. Who are your role models or mentors, and how have they influenced your career?

“Scott Venus, our Director of Manufacturing, was my mentor through my level 3 course which was so helpful, with his time and experience within engineering I knew I had nothing to worry about. Anything he doesn’t know is irrelevant.”

6. How do you see manufacturing evolving in the next decade, especially for women?

“Growing. Like I said previously, I have worked for Kentec for 7 years and already there are more and more women every year. Maybe one day we’ll see an all-female department!”

7. Can you share an experience where you felt supported and empowered by your peers or Kentec?

“Everyone within the team is very supportive and is willing to help me with any training. I originally started at Kentec in the print department, and so moving into the metal shop and getting involved with more engineering I had a lot to learn. It was the operators that would show me how things ran, and whenever I got stuck with something, everyone’s willing to go the extra mile to help me out.”