Anna Hryniewiecka, our Technical Training and Quality Manager tells us her experience of being a woman in the construction industry, and why before ACS she would only work at a company for three years.
“you have to fail in order to learn”
I was born and raised in Poland, and none of my family worked in construction, least of all the woman so you could say I broke the mould – certainly in my own life! I was always fascinated with watching and helping my grandad do DIY which is where I realised construction was what I wanted to do.
I studied in Poland for seven years. During my last two years at university, I worked in a design office specialising in roads and motorways refurbishment. After graduation, I moved to Northern Ireland, eager to explore new places and advance my career. Following three years at a timber frame company, my family and I relocated to Yorkshire, where I began working at an architectural consultancy before joining ACS. Despite my initial intention to change jobs every three years to gain diverse experiences, I’ve been with ACS for 12 years now. I started as a Technical Engineer, transitioned to a Team Leader role, and am currently enjoying my position as Technical Training and Quality Manager.
Part of my job involves working with new starters, training with a consistent approach and creating material that will help them settle in – including working examples. For the wider technical team I’m focusing on standardising design, developing consistent technical understanding and incremental improvements to task output.
It wasn’t that long ago that our sector was really under-represented by females, but thankfully that’s changing at ACS; it’s fantastic to be a part of that. However I don’t place too much emphasis on it in my role, I want to meet each person and work with them to help them do their job. That said, historically there has always been the undertone that as a woman in a man’s world, you aren’t as capable as they are. I’m glad to say it’s got better although there’s always work to be done!
It’s become a lot easier as a woman, there’s more of us and a wealth of young talent coming through. ACS has a fantastic infrastructure with many facilities and opportunities, as a company they are committed to bringing through the next generation and have a good understanding of employee’s needs.
I’m happy that I broke my own rule of only working somewhere for three years, and I hope to have many more fruitful years at ACS.
Article originally published on 3rd July 2024