AECOM knows the importance of supporting all its employees, and helping people make the most out of their talents. While there is no shortage of exciting opportunities for talented professionals to make a mark in the construction industry thanks to high profile projects like Crossrail, helping employees to achieve their full potential is still a challenge. Companies like AECOM need to be focused in the way they get the best out of their staff, and ensure that the support is there to help people flourish - particularly those that are underrepresented, such as women.

Exciting internationally significant projects

AECOM is in prime position to provide this support. As such a large business operating in diverse markets, it is a fantastic place to gain experience and develop a varied career path with wide ranging roles. It also means that it is possible to switch disciplines and move into completely new areas. Numerous exciting, internationally significant projects like the Rio Olympics are an amazing setting for developing expertise. And it’s not just the projects, AECOM teams are brimming with world experts in multiple fields, so on-the-job learning from colleagues is part of everyday life.

Revolutionising engineering in the Middle East and India

One big area for growth at AECOM is the Middle East and India. AECOM experts are assisting seven cities across India to become smarter, more inclusive and more competitive urban centres. Services in support of the national Smart Cities Mission include urban planning, infrastructure project preparation and Smart City program implementation. Elsewhere, AECOM is redefining marine transport in the Middle East. Hamad Port in Qatar is designed to act as a catalyst for Qatar’s trading industry. Completion of the port is critical for importing the resources and materials required to construct the facilities for 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar. When operating at full capacity, Hamad Port will be able to handle 6 million TEUs per year across three container terminals.

Constructive career advice and support

AECOM is also actively seeking to support career development and make sure more women are filling leadership roles through a variety of schemes. Structured graduate courses ensure that young people joining the firm are immediately introduced to an environment where the development of their skills is a priority, and there has been a steady increase of women enrolling every year. This year women outnumbered men for the first time on the Developing Leadership Potential course, which is run online and open to all graduates. Additionally, the mentoring circles or ‘mCircles’ system is a global scheme aiming to improve gender diversity. Small, supportive groups of eight to ten female employees ranging from entry level to vice presidents meet regularly to provide constructive career advice and discussion.

Women making their mark

Successful women are certainly making their mark at AECOM. Alison Waterworth, a senior engineer, was recently voted 2016 Best Young Woman Engineer at the Women in Construction & Engineering (WICE) awards ceremony in London. Alison has worked on a number of major projects in the UK, including the Forth Road Bridge cable band bolt replacement and acoustic monitoring replacement projects in Scotland, and recently returned from a year-long assignment in Russia, where she was a part of the technical team working on the Moscow M11 Highway project. Elsewhere, Elizabeth Peters is director of Special Projects in the global Delivery Excellence team, having been promoted from being an associate director, and is based in the United Arab Emirates. An expert in BIM, Elizabeth has worked for AECOM since 2013 and was a driving force in implementing it in many projects.

An environment to thrive

As with many companies in the industry, there is still work to be done. But with the rich opportunities and a wealth of support systems in place, AECOM is well on the way to breaking down the barriers to its female employees’ success - by creating an environment where anyone can thrive and find a fulfilling career path.

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