Civil engineer named ambassador of the year

Image source, ICE

Image caption, Rachel Hayden has mentored students from Jersey College for Girls and helped them secure university places and ICE scholarships
  • Author, Lisa Young
  • Role, 大象传媒 News, South West

A civil engineer from Jersey has won an award for helping to encourage young people to consider a career in civil engineering.

Rachel Hayden has been named Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) South West STEM Ambassador of the Year 2024.

She became an ICE ambassador in 2017 and since then Ms Hayden has promoted science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM) to 29,000 students across the South West, ICI said.

Ms Hayden said: 鈥淚f it wasn鈥檛 for STEM ambassadors coming into my school when I was 16 to run a pasta bridge competition, I might never have known about civil engineering, let alone be the civil engineer I am today.鈥

'Improving people's lives'

Ms Hayden grew up in Jersey and now lives in Saltash and works in Exeter as a senior engineer with WSP.

She's previously told ICE: "The thing that gets me out of bed every morning is knowing that I鈥檓 making a positive difference and building things that are improving people鈥檚 lives.

"Whether it鈥檚 building a hospital, generating clean electricity through nuclear power, or providing the UK with the first full-fibre network."

Miranda Housden, regional director of ICE South West, said: 鈥淭here鈥檚 an annual shortfall of 59,000 graduate and technician engineers, many of whom are needed in civil engineering, so STEM ambassadors like Rachel are vital to encourage the next generation to consider a career in our industry.

鈥淚t鈥檚 impressive to see how much of a difference she鈥檚 made, and we鈥檙e delighted to honour her achievements with this award,鈥 she added.

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