At just 21, Betsy Crosbie is used to being the only woman in the room. She’s taken part in what is billed as the world’s biggest vocational skills competition, where she was unfazed by her international rivals.
She’s just been head-to-head against students from Norway to Indonesia – overall 58 countries competed in the WorldSkills International competition in Abu Dhabi, where she picked up a Medallion of Excellence.
Working mostly alone, she spent four days tackling professional challenges in the field of computer aided design (CAD). This contest is a culmination of regional and national events and brings 1,300 young participants, employees and apprentices together to compete for medals in more than 50 different skills.
“I was one of only two women in the competition,” Ms Crosbie says. “But then I was the only woman in my class at college. I was the only woman in my heat in the national skills finals. I am used to being surrounded by guys all the time. You just need to work through it, and work together as a team.”
Representing her country wasn’t as scary as it sounds, she remembers. “But it was a massive competition. The hardest thing is getting your head around a task at the start of a day. But I’d say to other young people to take every opportunity to make the most of it. You’ll not regret it.”
She’s been attending the WorldSkills UK competitions – which have also taken her to Sweden – since 2014, alongside her education. She’s just putting the finishing touches to her training in mechanical engineering, to complement her expertise in CAD, which she also studied at New College Lanarkshire in Scotland.
This combination of skills should see her thrive in the workplace – CAD is used extensively in industrial design, including the automotive, shipbuilding and aerospace sectors. It helps designers and engineers build, tweak and improve mechanical designs online via 3D models. “I’ve been using this software since I studied at high school,” says Ms Crosbie. “I’m working more on getting quicker at using it to do more complex things – but if you use it all the time, you can pick it up quite quickly.”
A need for skills
Ms Crosbie relished CAD-related subjects at school where her favourite subject was graphic communication, and mechanical engineering gives her the full set of skills for future jobs.
She’ll be well placed – research by Engineering UK shows an additional 1.8 million engineers and technically qualified people are required by 2025, and there’s a dearth of 20,000 people a year coming out of UK education.
“Betsy’s an amazing young female engineer,” says Barry Skea, who is head of faculty for engineering and automotive at New College Lanarkshire. He’s also worked alongside Ms Crosbie at the WorldSkills events. “Betsy is hardworking and determined – a great example of a woman who can lead and be the best in her industry.”
Before embarking upon her job search, Ms Crosbie has taken time to coach the latest competitors in the WorldSkills UK national finals in November.
“I have learnt so much about myself and my trade over the last three years,” she says. “I’ve been able to experience things that not everyone gets the chance to do.”
Semta is the organising partner for the WorldSkills UK engineering competitions. To find out more about competing, visit semta.org.uk.
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