Press release

Military officer awarded prestigious Young Woman Engineer of the Year Award

02 December 2011

The Institution of Engineering & Technology (IET) has today announced the winners of the 2011 Young Woman Engineer of the Year Awards, with Captain Charlotte Joyce, Aircraft Engineering Officer, 4 Regiment Army Air Corps named Young Woman Engineer of the Year.

The awards were presented last night by TV presenter Myleene Klass at a glittering awards ceremony held at IET London: Savoy Place.  The Awards, made up of three coveted prizes, seek to recognise the very best female engineers under the age of 30 working in the UK today and aims to inspire others to enter the profession.

As the IET Young Woman Engineer of the Year, Charlotte received a trophy and a cheque for one thousand pounds and will act as an ambassador and spokesperson for the industry. Upon receiving the award, she commented, “It’s a real honour and privilege to win this award tonight. This is a great opportunity to inspire a range of young people to take up the exciting career that engineering is and I hope to use this opportunity, as an ambassador for the IET, to demonstrate the diversity of engineering careers available and the security this profession has to offer.”

Charlotte was recognised for her work in supplying airworthy battle winning helicopters on worldwide operations and leading soldiers in dangerous and challenging environments, from Afghanistan to Libya.  

Whilst at university Charlotte was involved in charity work for Bristol Volunteers for Development Abroad, taking her to Rwanda to work with rural Women’s Groups in remote locations to drive income generating initiatives and to improve their family diet. She then led the team to Uganda to help implement basic water treatment technology, fuel efficient stoves and sanitation education.

The Mary George Memorial Prize for an outstanding female Engineering Apprentice was awarded to Laurie-Ann Benner, Reliability Engineer, PEME Process Control who received a trophy and cheque for seven hundred and fifty pounds.

The Women’s Engineering Society Prize was awarded to Kelly Walker, Combustion Engineer at E.ON New Build & Technology. Kelly received a trophy and cheque for five hundred pounds.

The IET Deputy President, Professor Andy Hopper said, “The recognition of these women who have entered the industry through a variety of routes and secured a strong future for themselves will hopefully inspire other young women to strive for more and consider engineering as worthwhile career, particularly during a time when the future may appear uncertain for a lot of young people. Each finalist is a shining industry example and I offer my sincere congratulations to them all.”

The ceremony was made possible by the generous support and sponsorship of  BP, E-ON, GCHQ, Intel, National Grid, NICEIC, The Royal Air Force, RS Components, Selex Galileo, Siemens and Transport for London.

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