Celebrating International Women in Engineering Day 2025 with engineer Phebe Mann

We spoke to CCC student and experienced engineer Phebe Mann to learn more about the challenges and highlights from her career.

To celebrate International Women in Engineering Day 2025 on 23 June, we spoke to experienced engineer and Capital City College (CCC) student Phebe Mann.

Phebe has had a long and successful professional career in engineering, but is also keen to share her knowledge and insight through her work as Visiting Professor at Loughborough University, mentor at the University of Cambridge, STEM ambassador and Talent 2030 National Engineering Competition mentor.

In addition to her engineering qualifications, Phebe has taken on a number of courses at CCC to broaden her knowledge across Plumbing and Electrical Installation.

Tell us a bit about your background

I did A Levels then went to university. I did a Computer Science degree at Cambridge University and then got my Civil Engineering degree from Leicester University. My first job after university was working as a graduate engineer. I worked within transportation on projects such as motorway bridges and highway contracts. They were quite big projects at the time. I’ve also worked for both Westminster City Council and Cambridgeshire County council.

Currently, I’m an Upper Tribunal Specialist Member, in the transport jurisdiction. This means that I hear evidence relating to different cases and use my expertise as a transport engineer to make decisions with a Tribunal Judge.

What sparked your passion for engineering?

I’m pretty good with numbers and I also enjoy solving problems and using my analytical and strong communications skills – and these skills are very much needed in engineering.

What have been the highlights of your Engineering career?

Two years ago, I was elected as Chair of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) Council for the London region. As a non-white female working in Engineering, it felt significant and good to be both nominated and voted in as the Chair for the London region – it felt like I’d been accepted.

[ICE is a global membership organisation, whose network of experts provides impartial advice for politicians and decision makers relating to building and adapting infrastructures to create a more sustainable world. The ICE Council represents the views of the membership to the Trustee Board and supports them in ensuring that ICE remains a global centre of excellence.]

What have been the challenges in your career?

There have been a lot of challenges for me as a non-white female working in the construction industry. On a number of occasions I’ve been on site as the lead engineer, accompanied by a male technician, and the client has automatically presumed that the technician was the lead engineer. Other times, I’ve been on site and the client has said to me ‘the surveyor hasn’t arrived’, and I’ve had to point out that I am, in fact, the surveyor. 

Those are the kind of interesting challenges that I come across, but I don’t get upset by them. It is how some people see things and I have to accept that – but then I’m also working to change what they see, it just takes a few steps before we can actually get to that stage.

What brought you to Capital City College?

I had already qualified as a Chartered Civil Engineer and a Chartered Surveyor. I wanted to gain more practical knowledge of building services, electrical installations and plumbing so that I could improve my understanding of legal requirements and supervise and manage projects more effectively. I started with a Plumbing – Level 2 Diploma, followed by an Electrical Installation – Level 2 Diploma and a Electrical Installation – Level 3 Diploma, in which I achieved Distinction for my practical examination. The instructors were extremely helpful, and I learned how to find faults within a system and enjoyed using my analytical skills. Since then, I’ve completed the Level 3 Advanced Technical Diploma in Electrical installation.

How have your studies shaped your career?

The courses I’ve completed at the college have helped me with the practical aspects of my work. When I’m on site, I can assess the work of electricians and plumbers and ask them to do things in a different way – we can discuss what’s really feasible. Most of the time, when we train as engineers, we know all the theories and do the calculations, but we don’t always have a clear understanding of what’s feasible on site, and that’s really important.

What makes a good engineer?

Firstly, you have to be aware of the rules and legal requirements. Engineers need to be quite careful and make sure they comply with both the law and health and safety regulations. And there can be different ways of complying so you have to be able to find the best one and make them fit in with your design. Secondly, you have to have a head for problem-solving, because problems come in different shapes and sizes and you need to be able to use different methods to solve them. Thirdly, engineers need to deal with clients and be able to advise them. You have to have the integrity and professional conduct to give your clients the best advice, even if it’s not what they want to hear.

Why do you think it is important to celebrate Women in Engineering day?

Women coming into the engineering industry still have to work hard in a different sense, even if they are very good at what they do. It’s not so much discrimination, but a perception that you can’t do it. Of course that perception isn’t true, and it may be a female engineer that leads a project or looks at electrical installations. Sometimes people subconsciously find that hard to accept. Some people still struggle to take instructions from a female engineer, and that’s not the way forward.

What’s your advice to anyone embarking on a career in engineering?

Firstly, you have to assess whether it’s the right path for you – if you’re not analytical and don’t like calculations, then engineering might not be for you. You should look into the range of careers and support available – you could become a civil engineer, a mechanical engineer, an electrical engineer and join an institution. If you’re a female engineer, you must have a sense of vision and confidence so that you don’t get upset when people underestimate your abilities. Don’t be afraid, just be confident in your abilities and remain determined to achieve your goals.

What’s next for you?

Because I’ve been working as an Upper Tribunal Specialist Member, I haven’t actually done any contract work for a while. What I am trying to promote now is sustainability and attaining net zero. We need to encourage the industry to observe climate change and take measures to face it.

Phebe aims to continue developing her practical construction skills and increase her awareness of the trades to enable her to better address the national shortage of skilled workers in the UK. She remains passionate about engineering and is keen to encourage more women to pursue engineering careers in construction. 

At CCC, we have a range of courses designed to provide you with the skills and experience you’ll need to progress in engineering. Our courses offer a mix of practical work and essential theory to support you as you develop your understanding of the engineering environment. If you’re interested in pursuing a career in engineering, take a look at our Engineering Courses and apply now!

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