Creating impact starts with daily conversations. We are taking proactive steps to inspire future engineers.
We are humbled and grateful to be invited by the University of Queensland Women in Engineering program to speak to future generations of engineers.
In April, NSW State Manager, Sarah Stante took part as the host for the virtual seminar as she shared her experience in the industry, and how important mentorships can be especially at the start of one’s career.
Let’s take a look back at Sarah’s career journey and her advice for future women in Engineering.
How did you get started in the industry?
I started working in construction project management on large-scale infrastructure projects in Sydney. I’ve always searched out and stepped up into opportunities, with career progression in mind, being respected for working hard and delivering outcomes.
I worked on the Cross City Tunnel in Sydney, a technically difficult build in a highly urbanised environment with traffic, utilities and space restrictions. This was a great experience with great people. I only recently learned that the site supervisor I worked with made a special effort to include a female toilet in our compound, something that I never thought of as being out of the ordinary in the early 2000s.
I worked on a motorway intersection upgrade in Brisbane, where my team delivered 12 new bridges months ahead of the program. This was the first project I worked on where I had another woman working alongside me in a leadership role, and it was great to have someone to bounce ideas off and provide a different kind of support. I was also pregnant with my first child during this project.
What influenced you to step into this career?
In high school, I was very interested in environmental science and accidentally fell into construction, when I started monitoring environmental requirements on site, while also being responsible for some site engineering. I loved seeing projects develop from paper to real life, and the everyday challenges that a dynamic site environment brings.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
I have two beautiful children, who I try to spend as much time with as possible. Our family enjoy travelling and experiencing new things, and we are looking forward to a camping trip in the Northern Territory this year.
What’s one thing you would say to young engineers?
I’m excited by the strength, intelligence and zero-tolerance attitude displayed by women engineers joining the industry. We own our place – and contribute amazingly to the future!
