From breaking barriers to mentoring in maritime

15 years later she is noticing a shift in the landscape with more women making their mark in the industry.

“Coming from road construction, it was quite obvious to some people that you're a female,” Paula said.

“It was unnerving when you're the only woman on the job and they have to organise amenities just for you.

“But things are evolving, and we're seeing an increase in the number of women on worksites."

Over the course of her career, Paula has drawn insights from numerous mentors. However, given the industry's representation of females, none of these were women.

Now working as a Senior Asset Engineer at North Queensland Bulk Ports Corporation (NQBP), she is helping other women entering the industry, like Graduate Engineer Khine Htet.

“Khine is overseeing a maintenance project at the Half Tide Tug Harbour and my role is to mentor her to deliver it,” Paula said.

“As part of the project, Khine is organising the maintenance of the assets at Half Tide Tug Harbour, and with tenants involved, stakeholder engagement is crucial.”

For Khine, having Paula mentor her through her first major project is invaluable, particularly in the specialised ports industry.

“One of the challenges for me is understanding the world of marine infrastructure and the different terms in it,” Khine said.

“If I ever have a question about what something means or need help with stakeholder engagement and writing reports, I turn to Paula, and she is there with guidance and additional information.

“Although it may seem like routine for us, we are achieving great things as two female engineers, making a positive impact and doing a good job."

Today (Friday 8 March 2024) is International Women’s Day and this year’s UN Women theme is Count Her In: Invest in Women. Accelerate Progress.

Paula urges more women to explore opportunities in engineering, emphasising the positive impact of diversity and balance.

“Having diversity in the industry brings a fresh perspective, balance and everybody benefits,” Paula said.

“Engineering has so many different areas that you can work in, offering diverse and exciting career paths.”