Published at 15:54, Tuesday, 01 November 2011

A SELLAFIELD engineer has won a prestigious award for inspiring young women into industry.

Claire Jones, a mechanical project engineer, scooped a Women into Science, Engineering and Construction (WISE) award from the Institute of Engineering and Technology.

She collected the honour, and a cheque for £1,000, from Princess Anne, pictured, at a ceremony in London.

Ms Jones graduated in mechanical engineering at Loughborough University in 2006 and worked in Germany and Belgium before arriving at Sellafield.

In 2009, she set up an young engineers’ panel in West Cumbria to organise events for young members of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE).

In May 2011, she became chair of the IMechE Young Members’ Board, representing more than 65,000 young engineers across the world.

Tony Gill, chief executive at Cumbria STEM Centre Ltd, who nominated Claire, said: “As a STEM ambassador Claire uses her own high level of enthusiasm to show other young women the potential for rewarding and worthwhile careers within STEM based industries.”

The awards celebrate those who inspire young women into the field of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk