Michelle Green is a Civil Engineer with a passion for inspiring others into the industry, particularly females.

Michelle’s career as a Civil Engineer began in 1999 when she was accepted onto an Advanced Modern Apprenticeship with West’s Engineering Design in Darlington. Throughout her four-year apprenticeship, she worked within West’s design office and studied part time to achieve an ONC and HNC in Civil Engineering, whilst also gaining an NVQ Level 2 and 3 in Engineering Construction Design & Draughting. During this time, Michelle worked as a Junior Designer and was involved in several projects as both a CAD Technician and Junior Designer.

Following her apprenticeship, she went on to study part time at Leeds Beckett University to gain a BSc (Hons) in Civil Engineering. Her involvement in projects during this time shifted away from drawings and simple calculations to more detailed designs, working closely with a Senior Engineer.

After graduating in 2006, Michelle started working with Waterman Aspen, who specialise in secondment. She hoped this would give her a broad range of experience and enable her to establish some contacts across the industry. During this time, Michelle was seconded to Network Rail, HBL Associates and Birse Rail.

Her time at Birse Rail involved the detailed design of a railway underbridge, using both hand calculations and design software. Following the construction of this new underbridge, her secondment came to an end and she took the opportunity to relocate.

In 2007, Michelle started working as an Engineer at Donaldson Associates. She decided to undertake a part time MSc in Civil Engineering at the University of Wolverhampton and worked on several railway schemes in their Derby office before moving across to the renewable energy team in Uttoxeter. Whilst working in renewables, Michelle was given more responsibility, taking on Lead Engineer and Project Management roles. Her workload concentrated on the front-end feasibility of wind farm schemes and involved a lot of technical report writing.

After eight years, Michelle moved back into the railway industry working as a Senior Engineer for FJD Consulting in Birmingham. Since 2015, she has been able to offer her unique and varied experience to various projects and develop good working relationships with several non-technical clients.

In 2016 she undertook the training to become a STEM Ambassador and regularly volunteers her time attending schools and events to promote the industry that she loves. She believes that her interactions with pupils and the promotion of engineering as an industry to be involved in will help to reduce not only the engineering skills gap but also the gender imbalance in future.