For International Women in Engineering Day 2021, we spoke to a number of selected women to learn more about their journey within the industry. Today, we speak to Sarah McDonagh, Senior Transport Planner at Jacobs and CIHT Republic of Ireland Chair.
I actually didn’t even know what a Transport Planner was before I accepted my first job after university with Jacobs Engineering. I had applied for the role with Jacobs as a friend told me my interest in cycling infrastructure might help me get a job but when I walked into my first day on the job I thought I was being hired as a transport engineer and I was very worried as my background is in Geography! I couldn’t quite figure out how I’d ended up with a job title of ‘Highways Engineer’. Thankfully, it transpired that I was actually being hired as a Transport Planner for the Highways Engineering team, and the rest as they say is history.
I love the varied work I get to do in my role with Jacobs. The National Transport Authority in Ireland is one of our main clients and through my work with the NTA I have been exposed to so many different types of transport planning such as Bus Network Planning, Transport Modelling, and the development and management of sustainable transport schemes all over Ireland.
...through my work with the NTA I have been exposed to so many different types of transport planning such as Bus Network Planning, Transport Modelling, and the development and management of sustainable transport schemes all over Ireland.
I think I am really lucky in that there is more woman than men on my team in Jacobs. We have a really great team of amazing ladies that I work with on a daily basis, and many of my mentors in my career so far have been women. I do sometimes find myself being the only women in the room for some projects but to be honest, I’ve never found that to be an issue.
I think I am really lucky that our industry has progressed to the point where it is very common to be a woman working in our industry. As I said above, we have so many women on my team that I haven’t ever felt that my gender has been an issue in my job.
I think I am really lucky that our industry has progressed to the point where it is very common to be a woman working in our industry.
It’s always nice to have a gender balance and to not feel like you are the only female or male voice in the room but as far as the success of the committee and the region goes, I don’t think gender comes into it as much as having a team that is driven and motivated towards meeting the committee’s goals. While we do have more men than women on the ROI CIHT Committee, I don’t believe this limits our ability to perform as a committee in any way.
I think female talent is important in the industry as it is important to have a rounded view in design and implementation of transportation. Women do statistically face different challenges to men. For example, pregnant women have different travel requirements to the rest of the population. They may need frequent access to seating and restroom facilities. Women may also have different safety requirements when travelling alone at night, and it is important that we have women on all our projects so we can get the rounded view that is required in the development of transport.
I think female talent is important in the industry as it is important to have a rounded view in design and implementation of transportation.
I think that apprenticeships are not widely advertised in our industry. While I know they exist, in our own office in Dublin I am not aware of anyone, male or female who has joined our team via an apprenticeship. I think that it is not just female representation that is lacking in apprenticeships in Ireland but representation of all genders and more should be done to open apprenticeships in our industry to everyone, as a more accessible means of joining the industry. Starting early on in secondary schools is an important time to make the students aware that university is not the only access route into professional occupations, and that apprenticeships are a valuable way to enter the workforce.
I don’t have an engineering Hero as I’m not an engineer, but I think anybody in our industry who is pushing new agendas such as reclaiming the streets back from private vehicles is a hero in my eyes. There are so many people in the industry in Ireland doing amazing work to make our streets safer, happier and safer places to be.
I think that it is not just female representation that is lacking in apprenticeships in Ireland but representation of all genders and more should be done to open apprenticeships in our industry to everyone, as a more accessible means of joining the industry.
Considering I fell into the industry by accident I’m not sure I have any great advice on how to get into it but the one thing I would say (coming from someone with a degree in geography) – don’t be put off if you don’t necessarily have the right degree or qualifications starting off. Put yourself out there and use your key interests as your selling point. As I said earlier, I was hired as with the title ‘Highways Engineer’ due to my interest in cycling infrastructure (and a thesis on the topic) but without a single engineering qualification to my name. I had an interest in the industry and some research to back it up and that was enough to get me in the door into an industry I knew virtually nothing about.
The opinions expressed are those of the author. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of the CIHT or its members. Neither the CIHT nor any person acting on their behalf may be held responsible for the use which may be made of the information contained therein.
