ABB shines a spotlight on its women engineers
 | ABB shines a spotlight on its women engineers_approved | 54.36 KB | Download |
 Preview | Nokulunga Mnyameni,Tenders and Quotations Specialist, ABB | 987.01 KB | Download |
 Preview | Nompumelelo Mafikeng, Project Manager, ABB | 215.2 KB | Download |
 Preview | Ntombifuthi Mazibane,Site Supervisor, ABB | 1.08 MB | Download |
 Preview | Rotakala Netshiavha, Tendering and Quotations Engineer, ABB | 94.53 KB | Download |
Held under the banner of the Women’s Engineering Society (WES), INWED celebrates its 10th year in 2023, yet again promoting the amazing work being carried out by women engineers across the globe under the theme of ‘Make Safety Happen’.
Science and gender equality are critical to achieve the UN Sustainable Global Development Goals. In 2021, ABB launched its Diversity and Inclusion Strategy 2030. Diversity expands the skills pool, bringing fresh perspectives and creativity for more innovation to contribute to a better world. Through its people, ABB pushes the boundaries of what can be achieved.
ABB’s Diversity & Inclusion 2030 targets include 50% university hires, 25% women in ABB leadership (19% by 2025), well established policies, a yearly improvement of the inclusion score in the employees’ engagement survey, and 100% access to employee resource and affinity groups.
ABB is committed to solving some of the biggest global challenges of our time. This is only possible through its exceptional people who work every day towards this goal, based on a culture of diversity, inclusion, and equal opportunity as being critical to business success.
Nokulunga Mnyameni
A Tenders and Quotations Specialist for Electrification Services, Nokulunga has a National Diploma and a Bachelor of Technology in Electrical Engineering and a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Management. She is currently completing her Master’s in Engineering Management.
In 2017, she received an ABB Jürgen Dormann Foundation (JDF) for Engineering Education scholarship. In 2018, she attended a JDF event in Switzerland where she met with engineering students from various countries. She has completed her P1/P2 in-service training and the engineer-in-training programme at the ABB Longmeadow facility.
In her current role, Nokulunga prepares commercial and technical offers for outdoor metering ring main units, compact secondary substations, e-houses and containerised substations and skid-based solutions. Earlier this year she progressed to the ABB Service Department.
“Coming straight from university, ABB gave me the opportunity to learn and expand my knowledge. I work with industry experts who are always willing to share their knowledge. I have seen personal growth and career development due to the support I receive from the people I work with. They always encourage me to actively challenge myself to grow and move out of my comfort zone,” says Nokulunga.
“Women can take the lead in initiatives that promote a safety culture in the workplace, encourage their teammates to work together, trust each other, and look out for one another. It is also important to create a safe environment for women to talk about bullying as well as violence and sexual harassment,” notes Nokulunga. ABB has established policies to promote diversity, inclusion, and equal opportunities. Each business unit has a diverse team, and is slowly seeing women in managerial positions.
Her message to girls wanting to embark on a similar career is: “Do not set limits for yourself. No dream is too big to be achieved. Your gender, race, background, or age should not restrict you in any way possible. Work hard and get yourself a mentor, someone to guide you and support you in your career development.”
Rotakala Netshiavha
A Tendering and Quotations Engineer-in-Training at the Electrification: Distribution Systems Division (ELDS), Rotakala graduated in 2020 with a National Diploma: Electrical Engineering. In June 2021, she commenced with her internship at City Power Johannesburg, joining ABB in December 2022. She is currently enrolled for a Higher Certificate in Management Practice with Henley Business School.
Her plan is to complete the final modules of her Advanced Diploma: Electrical Engineering in Power Engineering in 2024. As part of a team comprising tendering, sales, and engineering specialists, she generates quotations and supports customers by providing constant feedback on orders.
“I am solution-orientated, and engineering is a never-ending jigsaw puzzle that constantly needs solving. As an engineer, I get to be part of teams that create solutions to make the world a better and easier place to live in – that is wild,” says Rotakala.
ABB acknowledges the importance of diversity and inclusion, which is important for the entire industry. Rotakala’s message to STEM-career enthusiasts is: “Your career is going to take up 80% of your adult life, so make sure whatever you choose is for you and no one else. The world is your oyster, and you are the pearl - believe it!”
Nompumelelo Mafikeng
A Project Manager, Nompumelelo has a BTech in Electrical engineering from the University of Johannesburg and an Associate Project Manager Certificate (CAPM) from PMI. She started her career journey at ABB as a technician-in-training, where she gained most of her technical experience about MV and LV switchgear products. In 2019, she gravitated towards project management, her current role in the Electrification business, managing various projects in the energy and mining industry.
Nompumelelo says that what keeps her passionate about engineering is solving real-world problems and being part of teams delivering innovative technology bettering the world we live in. She adds that ABB has made great progress to inculcate a more inclusive work environment.
Women’s representation is increasing at all levels, starting from the hiring perspective. However, there is still a long way to go, as the engineering field is known for being male dominated. ABB has internal structures in place to support female talent, such as scholarship to encourage and support future young female engineers.
Nompumelelo advises: “Be confident about your abilities and share your ideas, as your unique perspective can bring valuable insight to projects. At the same time, find yourself a mentor who will guide you in your career. Be open to learn new things, as engineering is an ever-evolving field. Also, as the engineering field has opened its doors to females, take advantage and grab the opportunities available to accelerate your career.”
Ntombifuthi Mazibane
A Site Supervisor, Ntombifuthi has a National Diploma and BTech in Electrical Engineering. She is currently studying towards an Honours Degree in Engineering and Technology Management. Ntombifuthi is registered with the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) as a professional engineering technician. She has nine years’ experience in the construction industry, specialising in process automation.
Based at a project construction site, her dual role is to supervise Distributed Control System (DCS) teams and support planning, allocate tasks and compile project reports. Ntombifuthi has a strong interest and desire in understanding how things work and a willingness to engage in problem-solving and critical thinking.
Due to the diverse nature of engineering, there is always an opportunity to learn new techniques and be creative. “Engineering is constantly bringing about change and making a difference to the world thanks to inventions and solutions that affect our day-to-day lives. Contributing to and being part of the change is what drives my passion.”
Ntombifuthi comments that ABB promotes inclusion and diversity by creating a safe environment where everyone feels respected and is given equal opportunities. Employees have a voice and are listed to through engagement sessions.
“I believe it is not just a tickbox exercise but a company culture where there is no discrimination against gender, ethnicity, or any other factor. Women are given opportunities to be empowered to perform to the best of their abilities and to take up male-dominated leadership and technical roles.” Her message is: “Find a mentor or role model. Be inquisitive. Be sure of what your goals are and set high standards for yourself. And, lastly, never let a room with less females intimidate you.”
ENDS
ABB (ABBN: SIX Swiss Ex) is a leading global technology company that energizes the transformation of society and industry to achieve a more productive, sustainable future. By connecting software to its electrification, robotics, automation and motion portfolio, ABB pushes the boundaries of technology to drive performance to new levels. With a history of excellence stretching back more than 130 years, ABB’s success is driven by about 105,000 talented employees in over 100 countries. www.abb.com.
For more information please contact:
Media Relations Issued by NGAGE Marketing on behalf of ABB
Ofentse Dijoe Andile Mbethe
Phone: +27 (0) 010 202 5105 +27 (0)11 867 7763
Email : Ofentse [dot] dijoe [at] za [dot] abb [dot] com Email: andile [at] ngage [dot] co [dot] za