Women in a technical environment


Her work
In her role as a quality inspector, Katie ensures that all materials meet the required standards and are traceable according to current laws and regulations. Titan works with special alloys such as Inconel, Monel, 254SMO, and Titanium. The composition of these alloys cannot be seen with the naked eye, so Katie verifies them using Positive Material Identification, a technique that uses X-ray radiation.
First steps in engineering
The transition into engineering was quite exciting for Katie. She had never seen a technical drawing before or worked with metal. At Titan, her supervisor Nico guided her step by step, introducing her to every aspect of the job.
When Katie’s work isn’t done correctly, it can have consequences not only for production but also for critical processes at the client’s site. Alongside good guidance and clear protocols, her role carries a great deal of responsibility.
A woman in the workshop
At the moment, Katie is the only woman in the workshop when performing incoming inspections. In the beginning, this sometimes felt a bit uncomfortable in what is traditionally a man’s world. In practice, though, it turned out she had nothing to worry about. Everyone in the workshop values her effort and encourages her to bring out the best in herself. When facing a new challenge, Katie often thinks of Pippi Longstocking: “I’ve never done it before, so I think I can do it.”
Tip from Katie
Katie believes it’s important for more women to have the opportunity to explore the world of engineering. Many young people have no idea how many different technical roles exist. Katie herself didn’t even know that a job like quality inspector existed. Her advice: call a company or just knock on the door and ask if you can shadow someone for a day. You learn a lot by observing and doing.
Friesland as home
By now, Katie feels completely at home in Friesland. Back in 2021, she could hardly speak Dutch or Frisian — it stopped at “Hoi” and “Dankjewel.” Today, with the help of her colleagues, she speaks fluent Dutch and even a little bit of Frisian.
Pride
Katie looks back on the past few years with a smile. Four years ago, she never would have imagined working in such a responsible technical position. She sometimes surprises herself with the creative solutions she comes up with and feels proud of both herself and the path she’s taken.
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