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Elizabeth Donnelly - Aerospace outreach and IT
When I was at school I loved the sciences and was good at maths, but I didn’t
pursue it as a career. I started a law degree, but didn’t finish it as I was more
interested in politics and justice. It was only years later, as computer use grew, that I became involved in technology
on a professional level. I worked as a desktop publisher, then as a database administrator
for a pharmaceutical software company. I completed my degree with the Open University
(OU) in 2006 by studying databases, web development and systems thinking. I was
then able to combine my political interests with technology when I worked for
Rolls-Royce, lobbying government for more funding for research and technology
and for skills training.
That job then led to my current role as the Project Manger – Skills for A|D|S, the trade organisation advancing UK AeroSpace, Defence and Security Industries.
I am responsible for the UK Aerospace Youth Rocketry Challenge (UKAYRoC) , and I support A|D|S’s subsidiary, Farnborough International Ltd,
in the co-ordination of Futures Day at the Farnborough International Airshow.
The UK Rocketry Challenge is the largest model rocket showcase in the UK. Young
people aged 11-18 take part in teams. The challenge for 2010 is to design, construct
and launch a rocket carrying a raw egg to an altitude of 825 feet, then return
the egg safely to earth. Up to 100 teams participate every year. I’m always delighted
to see girls getting involved and in 2009 an all-girl team came third. They’ve
promised to win the competition this year!Futures Day at the Airshow is aimed at children between the ages of 7 and 17. It has lectures, demonstrations
and hands-on activities, and a careers fair with opportunities to meet key people
from aerospace and defence and young people starting out.
Only 6% of the aerospace engineering workforce is female, and about 4% of pilots
are women. The numbers have gone down in recent years. Last year the Royal Aeronautical Society established a Women in Aviation and Aerospace Committee, which I sit on, and we have just published a report on how poorly women are represented in the industry and what needs to be done.
We do need more women engineers: it’s not an “oily rag” industry, which is evidenced
when you walk around aerospace factory floors and see light, bright, clean environments
to build and make aeroplanes.
I’ve just completed a Diploma in Economics with the OU. I don’t have much spare time. I relax by playing computer games or surfing
the internet. I remain fascinated by new media: the internet has turned out to
be a life-changing revolution. It is comparable to the Industrial Revolution in
how it is changing how we work and how we interact with each other.Elizabeth Donnelly is Project Manger – Skills for A|D|S. She is a member of the Royal Aeronautical Society’s Women in Aviation and Aerospace Committee.
Comments:
Ruth Wilson (UKRC moderator)
Hi Elizabeth,
Welcome to the UKRC blog. I am very impressed that you have found time to do a diploma in economics. At UKRC we are very interested in the ways the recession is impacting on women in science, engineering and technology. Is there a significant impact on aerospace, and can you see that affecting men and women differently. I know some places are introducing more part-time and flexible working - is there any evidence of that?
The rocket challenge sounds brilliant! Last year we ran a blog to mark the international year of astronomy, and the all-girl rocket team from Northern Ireland took part. You can read their entry here: www.ukrc4setwomen.org/html/projects-and-campaigns/astronomy-blog/html/projects-and-campaigns/astronomy-blog/?id=5
Welcome to the UKRC blog. I am very impressed that you have found time to do a diploma in economics. At UKRC we are very interested in the ways the recession is impacting on women in science, engineering and technology. Is there a significant impact on aerospace, and can you see that affecting men and women differently. I know some places are introducing more part-time and flexible working - is there any evidence of that?
The rocket challenge sounds brilliant! Last year we ran a blog to mark the international year of astronomy, and the all-girl rocket team from Northern Ireland took part. You can read their entry here: www.ukrc4setwomen.org/html/projects-and-campaigns/astronomy-blog/html/projects-and-campaigns/astronomy-blog/?id=5
Elizabeth Donnelly
Thank you for the opportunity to blog. I'm delighted to be here.
It was fascinating to study Economics during the banking crisis as I was able to see how a lot of theories didn't work in practice. There were assignments that had to be completed every month, so it was a good way of making sure I did the reading. I read the text books on the train and I remember writing assignments on every bank holiday weekend between February and September for two years.
The recession has seen a number of jobs go in the industry but we're a long-term business, so the effects haven't yet been seen. We expect to feel the squeeze in the next two or three years, particularly in Defence as public spending will be significantly reduced.
At A|D|S we are encouraging our member companies to maintain their graduate and apprentice programmes. In previous recessions these schemes were cut and it is now noticeable that there are missing generations in the aerospace workforce. This is having a serious impact on companies, so we point out the future repurcussions of cutting investment for the future. There are fewer placements, and although more young women are entering the industry, the competition will be harder.
I would still encourage women to study engineering. I have been working with industry to identify what their skills needs will be in the future and we have created a Skills Roadmap for Aerospace and Defence. Tthe industry is expected to expand over the next decade. There will be a demand for higher level skills in new areas such as composites. Leadership skills such as project and programme management will also be in demand.
Aerospace is a great field to work in as we are already addressing environmental concerns about emissions and we need talented people to devise new ways of meeting our responsibilities.
We run the Rocketry Challenge under the heading "This IS Rocket Science", and it's very exciting. We have over 60 teams entered now and there is still time to enter before the closing date of the 28th February.
It was fascinating to study Economics during the banking crisis as I was able to see how a lot of theories didn't work in practice. There were assignments that had to be completed every month, so it was a good way of making sure I did the reading. I read the text books on the train and I remember writing assignments on every bank holiday weekend between February and September for two years.
The recession has seen a number of jobs go in the industry but we're a long-term business, so the effects haven't yet been seen. We expect to feel the squeeze in the next two or three years, particularly in Defence as public spending will be significantly reduced.
At A|D|S we are encouraging our member companies to maintain their graduate and apprentice programmes. In previous recessions these schemes were cut and it is now noticeable that there are missing generations in the aerospace workforce. This is having a serious impact on companies, so we point out the future repurcussions of cutting investment for the future. There are fewer placements, and although more young women are entering the industry, the competition will be harder.
I would still encourage women to study engineering. I have been working with industry to identify what their skills needs will be in the future and we have created a Skills Roadmap for Aerospace and Defence. Tthe industry is expected to expand over the next decade. There will be a demand for higher level skills in new areas such as composites. Leadership skills such as project and programme management will also be in demand.
Aerospace is a great field to work in as we are already addressing environmental concerns about emissions and we need talented people to devise new ways of meeting our responsibilities.
We run the Rocketry Challenge under the heading "This IS Rocket Science", and it's very exciting. We have over 60 teams entered now and there is still time to enter before the closing date of the 28th February.
Ayo (UKRC)
Hi Elizabeth,
Its great to see you again (virtually! through our blog! It was a pleasure to meet you back in October at the Women in Aviation and Aerospace event. It was great to see a critical mass of women from a diverse range of aviation careers. I remember from your presentation, that an integral part of your own career development has been due to your networking skills. It was facinating to hear your tips on how to network effectively.
I wonder if you could share with us which networks have been most useful to you in your career? Have you had any 'breakthrough' moments by people in your network sharing information or advice?
Sometimes thinking 'outside the box' in terms of networks we join can really open up alot of new opportunities!
Its great to see you again (virtually! through our blog! It was a pleasure to meet you back in October at the Women in Aviation and Aerospace event. It was great to see a critical mass of women from a diverse range of aviation careers. I remember from your presentation, that an integral part of your own career development has been due to your networking skills. It was facinating to hear your tips on how to network effectively.
I wonder if you could share with us which networks have been most useful to you in your career? Have you had any 'breakthrough' moments by people in your network sharing information or advice?
Sometimes thinking 'outside the box' in terms of networks we join can really open up alot of new opportunities!
Ruth Wilson (UKRC moderator)
Hi Elizabeth,
Its very interesting to hear you say the economic theories often don't work in practice. Last year UKRC held a recession event to look at impacts on women in SET, and one of our speakers was Ann Pettifor. By co-incidence, she has just posted an entry on her blog titled 'Women talking macroeconomics':
http://debtonation.org/2010/02/women-talking-macro-economics/
She explains that though we think that money arrives as a result of our hard work (ie economic activity) in fact its the other way round. Money stimulates economic activity. At UKRC we hope that the government and markets will continue to invest in SET and at the same time in gender equality - in that way employers have access to the widest talent pool and women have an opportunity to progress.
Ayo - tell us a bit about Connect!
Its very interesting to hear you say the economic theories often don't work in practice. Last year UKRC held a recession event to look at impacts on women in SET, and one of our speakers was Ann Pettifor. By co-incidence, she has just posted an entry on her blog titled 'Women talking macroeconomics':
http://debtonation.org/2010/02/women-talking-macro-economics/
She explains that though we think that money arrives as a result of our hard work (ie economic activity) in fact its the other way round. Money stimulates economic activity. At UKRC we hope that the government and markets will continue to invest in SET and at the same time in gender equality - in that way employers have access to the widest talent pool and women have an opportunity to progress.
Ayo - tell us a bit about Connect!
Gill Kirkup
Hi Elizabeth, I wonder what your member companies can do to recuit more young women onto apprenticeships and vocational training. The figures we see for young women competing apprenticeships remains tiny. For example in 2007 only 388 women completed a level 2 apprenticeship in an engineering and manufacturing technology area compared with 9,682 men. At level three is was worse : 123 women compared with 10,020 men.
Elizabeth Donnelly
Ayo - A pleasure to be in contact with you again.
Breakthrough networks: Yes, I am a member of the Unite trade union and my connections there helped me to get the job at Rolls-Royce in 2005. They wanted someone in aerosapce with political connections but couldn't find anyone. So, they asked me with my political connections if I would work with them and they would teach me about aerospace. It was a steep learning curve, but I found out a lot in a few months and was able to lobby effectively.
The Women in Aviation and Aerospace Committee is another good network. We are trying to find more women in the sector who would be prepared to join us and help encourage more womein into our industries.
Networking is often about remembering what the people you meet are interested in or are working on. I met someone recently who wanted to work in fuel cells. During the conversation he mentioned that he had also worked with microbes and biofuels, so I was able to connect him to someone I know who works with biofuels. I only make the connections, it's up to those I connect whether they take it further.
Ruth - That link is one of the most interesting and straightforward desccriptions of how money works that I have ever read.
Elena is absolutely right - it is money that makes the world go round, not our activity. Which is why the Bank of England was right to use quantative easing to get the economy going again - effectively it "printed money" to stimulate economic activity. There are those who try to compare our economy to a household's income and outgoings, but this should be resisted.
A country's growth is determined by aggregate demand. This comprises government spending, individual consumption, business investment and the sale of goods overseas all added together. Goods bought in from outside are taken away from the total. If there is a recession our individual consumption goes down, as does business investment (particularly if they can't get a loan from the bank) and as a result so exports fall. The only way of stimulating the economy is for the government to spend more, otherwise the demand falls and so does growth. Those who call for cuts in spending before businesses and individuals can afford to spend more will force the economy further into debt. So spend more money and take us out of recession.
Gill - good point about apprenticeships and taking on more women and girls.
Companies often have an oily rag image in engineering, and it's not attractive to young women. The Women in Aviation and Aerospace Committee is committeed to finding ways that will encourage more women and girls to come into our industry. Sometimes it's about careers advice, sometimes it's about making the company or sector more appealing. Mentioning the money can help, too. Although an apprentice earns relatively little money, within a few years they can be earning £23-24,000 and not be in debt, and they will still have the opportunity to study for a degree. A female friend of mine who works at Rolls-Royce is now in management and is not yet 40. She's earning more £40,000 - all from an engineering degree in the recession of the early 1990s.
More needs to be done. Please get in touch if you have ideas about how companies can encourage more women. It's also a very interesting career.
Breakthrough networks: Yes, I am a member of the Unite trade union and my connections there helped me to get the job at Rolls-Royce in 2005. They wanted someone in aerosapce with political connections but couldn't find anyone. So, they asked me with my political connections if I would work with them and they would teach me about aerospace. It was a steep learning curve, but I found out a lot in a few months and was able to lobby effectively.
The Women in Aviation and Aerospace Committee is another good network. We are trying to find more women in the sector who would be prepared to join us and help encourage more womein into our industries.
Networking is often about remembering what the people you meet are interested in or are working on. I met someone recently who wanted to work in fuel cells. During the conversation he mentioned that he had also worked with microbes and biofuels, so I was able to connect him to someone I know who works with biofuels. I only make the connections, it's up to those I connect whether they take it further.
Ruth - That link is one of the most interesting and straightforward desccriptions of how money works that I have ever read.
Elena is absolutely right - it is money that makes the world go round, not our activity. Which is why the Bank of England was right to use quantative easing to get the economy going again - effectively it "printed money" to stimulate economic activity. There are those who try to compare our economy to a household's income and outgoings, but this should be resisted.
A country's growth is determined by aggregate demand. This comprises government spending, individual consumption, business investment and the sale of goods overseas all added together. Goods bought in from outside are taken away from the total. If there is a recession our individual consumption goes down, as does business investment (particularly if they can't get a loan from the bank) and as a result so exports fall. The only way of stimulating the economy is for the government to spend more, otherwise the demand falls and so does growth. Those who call for cuts in spending before businesses and individuals can afford to spend more will force the economy further into debt. So spend more money and take us out of recession.
Gill - good point about apprenticeships and taking on more women and girls.
Companies often have an oily rag image in engineering, and it's not attractive to young women. The Women in Aviation and Aerospace Committee is committeed to finding ways that will encourage more women and girls to come into our industry. Sometimes it's about careers advice, sometimes it's about making the company or sector more appealing. Mentioning the money can help, too. Although an apprentice earns relatively little money, within a few years they can be earning £23-24,000 and not be in debt, and they will still have the opportunity to study for a degree. A female friend of mine who works at Rolls-Royce is now in management and is not yet 40. She's earning more £40,000 - all from an engineering degree in the recession of the early 1990s.
More needs to be done. Please get in touch if you have ideas about how companies can encourage more women. It's also a very interesting career.
Rachel
Hi Elizabeth, I was interested to see that you are a member of a Union (Unite). I wondered why you decided to become a union member and what kind of services or support Unite can offer that might be of benefit to women?
Malcolm Davies
Hi Elizabeth - great blog.
3 questions from me
1. Is it true that Rocket Science is easy?
2. If money makes the world go round can someone explain the success of Timebanking - both here and in the USA?
3. Do you have a view on the BAE arms trade scandal?
Take care
Malc
3 questions from me
1. Is it true that Rocket Science is easy?
2. If money makes the world go round can someone explain the success of Timebanking - both here and in the USA?
3. Do you have a view on the BAE arms trade scandal?
Take care
Malc
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