A Zimbabwean-born engineer based in the United Kingdom has been honoured by the Women’s Engineering Society.
Melissa Chigubu, in her second-year apprentice training with the Coventry-based Advanced Manufacturing Training Centre, has been named as one of the top 50 women in engineering in Britain.
Her nomination was announced at the Women’s Engineering Society centenary dinner at the Waldorf Hotel in London.
The 19-year-old, who has been in the United Kingdom for seven years, received her award at a ceremony at the Royal Academy of Engineering.
Chigubu became the first female to complete the Foundation Gateway in the Advanced Manufacturing Training Centre’s (AMTC) new Apprenticeship Engineering Standard programme following her arrival in the country in 2012.
She was lauded by Paul Rowlett, managing director of the AMTC for her passion and dedication to learning. He said:
Melissa is a talented and dedicated learner who strives to excel, demonstrating exceptional skills for her early career stage.
Our training staff regard her competency portfolio as the best they have ever seen, and this accolade recognises her outstanding performance, professional behaviour and support of other learners.
… She is a strong advocate for women in engineering and in apprenticeships. She has been instrumental in activities that aim to encourage women to follow engineering career paths as well as to increase teacher and parent engagement by breaking down traditional stereotypes.