At the rate society is evolving, from industrialisation to artificial intelligence, there are still women who are at the forefront of driving change in the engineering sector.
The conversation at this point has moved from women leading in “male-dominated” industries to what they are doing to actively impact the industry.
One such woman is Ntshireng Evelyn Mofokeng, an engineer at heart and a utility artisan at Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa in Bloemfontein. “I have always loved engineering from a young age. I have been in technical schools since junior secondary school. I did Industrial Electronics, Woodworking, Metalwork, and Electrical.”
When she is not manning machinery at her place of employment, she spends time with her family and at church. Her biggest motivators in life are the word of God and her family.
As the utilities artisan, Ntshireng is responsible for maintaining machines and making sure that production runs smoothly. She also makes sure that schedules are completed accordingly and makes sure that they utilise the plant with quality water and energy. This is what sets the company apart. “The quality products that our company produces sets us apart from other competitors,” she says.
Throughout her career, Ntshireng has obtained qualifications to push her forward in her career. Some of these include a High Voltage MV Switching Certificate, an N5 Electrical Engineering qualification, a Boiler Operation certificate, and she has completed the Instrument Mechanical Trade Test.
When it comes to inclusivity of women in the workplace, she says the company is doing well but there is a lot of work that needs to be done for more improvement. Sisterhood in the workplace thus becomes imperative. “As women we should work together and share ideas as to how to improve our level of expertise in our fields of work.”
Competency, a flexible mind, and teamwork are the three most important characteristics one needs to build a successful business according to Ntshireng. She advises young women in business to be open to learning new things.
“They should not be afraid to ask if they don’t understand.”
Text and photography: GYPSEENIA LION
