Wired for DEI: My Pride story in engineering

Engineering is an industry known for innovation and problem-solving, but to many who work in Engineering it is also known for being historically less inclusive than other sectors, presenting significant challenges particularly for those from marginalised communities. My journey as a Queer Engineer highlights some of these challenges and the critical need for increased work on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

I am used to being an outlier. Growing up in a largely white neighbourhood in the south of Manchester, and being the Black, Queer, autistic (then undiagnosed) child made me stand out in school, in the RAF Cadets I was part of for many years, and even within my own white, Irish Catholic family. I, perhaps naïvely, assumed that things would change when I moved from school to college, or from college to University, but the isolation in these predominantly white, male, heterosexual, and neurotypical environments only followed.

After completing my degree and spending some time overseas, I entered the workforce with an ambition to prove myself. My career has taken me through several roles within the Automation Engineering sector, where I have specialised in mobile plant equipment in the construction, mining, agriculture, forestry, and municipal machines industries. I have progressed from a Sales Engineer through to Senior Management and Strategic Industry Management for global manufacturer-suppliers, with my successful track-record serving as proof of my dedication.