Hinkley Point C visit helps Girl Guides achieve their engineering badge

A group of Girl Guides are well on their way to achieving their Women in Engineering badges – thanks to a site visit to Hinkley Point C.

Teams at the site pulled out all the stops to lay on an informative and interesting tour for the 18 girls aged 10-14 from Taunton Girl Guides.

It was even more special because the visit took place on International Women in Engineering Day.

Guide leader Helen Vittery thanked everyone at site and said the girls had decided the Hinkley Point C trip was their favourite activity.

“I have had some fantastic feedback and this will help in the girls in achieving their Women in Engineering badges that they are currently working towards,” she said.

Members of the Young Professionals Network at Hinkley Point C helped colleagues organise the trip, arranging for four female employees from EDF Energy and Tier 1 contractors to guide the girls through the site tour, explain how a nuclear power station works and answer their many questions.

The network’s Event Co-ordinator, Field Engineer Erica Dang, said: “Meeting real women in engineering encouraged the girls to think about the various career opportunities in STEM subjects that are open to them. The visit also gave the girls a rare first-hand insight into one of the biggest construction sites in Europe.”

Marcus Payne, Solutions Architect, who put the Girl Guides in touch with the Hinkley Point C site team, added: “They really enjoyed it and it has already started some conversations within the group about how they might work in construction, science, technology and engineering. It has made them think about various opportunities that are open to them, which is great to hear.”