A YOUNG woman who is a lead engineer at Aston Martin in St Athan has been picked out as the ‘poster girl’ for women in engineering in Wales.
Grace Lewis had her eyes opened by NASA and was supported by the University of South Wales and is now a lead engineer at Aston Martin.
To mark the recent ‘International Women in Engineering Day’, the Welsh Government wanted to highlight the range of initiatives aimed at encouraging girls into Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) careers. This includes funding programmes specifically aimed at girls. It also fully funds degree apprenticeships in engineering and advanced manufacturing that combine real-world workplace learning with a higher education qualification.
Jeremy Miles MS said: “Wales is a great place for tech and engineering companies to establish, invest and grow, and there is a high demand for a skilled workforce. Historically, women have been under-represented in this sector, and as a Government, we’re determined to change this.”
One woman who is living proof of this aspiration is Grace Lewis, Lead Engineer at Aston Martin in St Athan. She said: “I had always been fascinated by science and maths at school and had a particular interest in astronomy and space travel. A school trip to the NASA sites opened my eyes up to how many people work on making a space mission happen. Most of the NASA employees I met were engineers, so this is when I first started asking ‘can I be an engineer?’
“At university, I found the work-based learning aspect particularly exciting, and it was such a privilege to apply my current education in a world-leading aircraft engine plant.”
A degree apprentice graduate from the University of South Wales, Grace joined the product development team at McLaren in Surrey in 2021, and was later approached by Aston Martin.
She added: “It felt like the right time to return to Wales, and to work for such an iconic brand. Aston Martin have recently founded an Inclusion Network with strands to support all minority groups. Aston Martin are working towards increasing the female headcount within the business, particularly in engineering roles.”
Speaking about her role, Grace she said: “Volunteering as a STEM Ambassador has given me a platform to share my skills with young learners while encouraging them to consider STEM careers. My mission is to help the STEM industries become a fairer and more accessible place for young people – regardless of gender, birthplace or minority group. I’ve been lucky enough to both welcome students on-site and visit them at schools and colleges.”
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