“There is some pressure from being in a sector where there aren’t many women,” Eve said. “But you can use that to your advantage.
Eve Baker knows that a woman working in a sector which is traditionally male-dominated will face some extra pressures.
Her response is simple and strong: “Bring ‘em on!”
Eve is an Executive Assistant at
GreenTech Industries, a battery recycling and repurposing business in Southam. The business was founded in 2018 by CEO Tony Booth who identified a gap in the expanding green economy to support businesses with waste and recycling challenges.
Eve joined in July and is loving the variety and learnings of her role. She inherited a passion for engineering from her dad who has spent his whole working life in automotive, and she has settled quickly at the company’s unit in Sucham Park. Her colleagues, all male, have been welcoming and she is learning as she goes, in terms of both the engineering itself and the organisation behind the business. It is a great opportunity which she is determined to seize – spurred on, in part, by proving that pressure isn't going to hold her back.
“There is some pressure from being in a sector where there aren’t many women,” Eve said. “But you can use that to your advantage. You can learn from it and if you have to persevere more and do more, and sometimes have to work a little bit harder, that gives you an opportunity to be noticed more.
“We need to think outside the box and go for types of jobs where you might not expect to find women. That’s where women can really shine and succeed. The Women in Engineering series has some inspiring interviews with women who have overcome the barriers and built brilliant careers. They’ve showed what can be done.”
Eve divides her time between working in the factory and assisting the CEO with his diary and day to day planning. That means she is building a great, all-round knowledge of the business and in May she will also start a four-year Project Management degree course at Coventry University.
“I started out in this direction because of my dad,” she said. “I used to like watching Formula One and dad worked in F1 for Williams so when I was nine years old, I went on a course, Dare to be Different, by Clare Williams. It was a brilliant day, learning all about opportunities, and ever since then I have been really intrigued by the engineering sector, partly because relatively few women are in it. I really like the idea that we are trying to do something different and make an impact in a very male-dominated industry.
“I studied animal care at college but the opportunities for a career were very limited. In engineering and, especially at GreenTech, there is a lot of variety. I don’t like doing the same thing every day. I’d rather come into work not knowing what the day will bring.
“I help the CEO and with my little bit of experience from working at Fortescue, helping out in the factory. I was trained up to help create an NRG which is a battery pack using recovered parts to create a new product. We take end-of-life batteries and, instead of them being dug into the ground creating waste and pollution, take the good parts and find applications for reuse. A battery is often written off because of a spark or short when most of it is still good, so we take out the good cells and use them to create a new battery pack. It’s a great thing to be involved in.
“In May, I am going to start an apprenticeship in project management at Coventry University and they are very well-renowned for automotive so I am really excited about that. I’ll be at GreenTech four days a week and at university one day a week.”
Eve has found her niche – and is looking to follow in the footsteps of the increasing number of women forging fine careers in engineering.
“This is most definitely the sector I want to stay in, ideally at GreenTech,” she said. “I am getting trained down in the factory and will carry on helping out the senior management team - I will do whatever is needed to help the company grow.
“Growing up with two older brothers, I am used to a male-heavy environment so for me it has been easier. Coming into a workplace and being the only female could be very intimidating, but I have had great support from everyone around me at work and home. My brothers are very proud of me and just want to see me succeed. They like that I am following in dad’s footsteps!”