International Women in Engineering Day: Spotlight on the UK's only female industrial combustion engineer

Anna, Founder

June 24, 2025

This International Women in Engineering Day, we’re spotlighting on Becca Weston, who is the only female in the industrial sector registered in the UK as a combustion engineer.

Her work is vital, highly skilled, and often invisible to the wider public. Like many women in engineering and construction, her presence challenges outdated assumptions about who belongs on site, in overalls, and with their hands on the toolkit.

At We Build Too, we exist to change the game for women like Becca - those already on the tools and those thinking about picking them up. We’re building a platform and a community that makes space for women in construction to get started, grow, and thrive.

So what can we learn from someone like Becca, whose career spans over 16 years in some of the UK’s toughest environments? We asked her a few questions, and her answers say a lot about where we are, what’s still missing, and how we move forward.

"You aren't sure what you're going to get when you turn up to someone's house!"

Becca’s career spans both domestic and industrial sectors, and she’s clear about the difference:

There’s been progress: more women are entering engineering and plumbing on the domestic side. But industrial and commercial settings? Not so much. Yet Becca shares that she finds these spaces not just more accepting, but safer. Why? Because professionalism is built into the structure, risk assessments go out in advance, teams know who’s arriving, and crucially, there’s less chance of walking into a dangerous or inappropriate situation with no support or witnesses.

It’s a reminder that the environment matters. You can’t talk about increasing diversity in trades without talking about safety, especially for women working alone.

"Don’t expect any special treatment."

When asked what advice she’d give someone starting in a male-dominated field, Becca was clear: earn your place through skill and work ethic, but also work smart. Use lifting aids, understand leverage, and embrace practical tools that protect your body while helping you do your job well.

She adds one very real piece of site wisdom: “Invest in a van bucket.” Because even when there are female toilets on-site, you can’t guarantee you’ll want to use them. It’s a laugh-out-loud moment that underscores a deeper truth: women still aren’t accounted for in the design of many construction environments.

"The older generation of men...due to retire are like gold and the best ones to learn off!"

It’s tempting to assume women in trades thrive despite men. But Becca’s experience, like so many others, reminds us of the importance of working together to improve the industry for everyone. The older generation of engineers, those close to retirement, were her best teachers and mentors. They passed on more than skills and experience she couldn't have got elsewhere. She credits them with making her the engineer she is today.

And here’s the kicker: many of those mentors are retiring soon, and the UK construction industry needs to recruit the equivalent of 239,300 extra workers over the next five years.* It’s not just a gender gap we’re facing – it’s a skills gap. And unless we act now, that expertise could disappear. That’s where We Build Too comes in: to help preserve knowledge and pass it on to those who’ve too often been left out.

"Protect your knees and back."

If Becca could speak to her younger self, she'd say, 'look after your body'. It’s a deeply human reflection that cuts through the bravado and gets to the heart of trades work: it’s physical, and you carry it with you.

At We Build Too, we believe physical wellbeing, as much as emotional and financial wellbeing, needs to be part of the conversation. Especially for women who experience a significant toll on their bodies throughout their lives.

Women in trades already face pressure to prove themselves. On top of that, women are more likely to face health challenges: - Twice as likely to experience depression – Three times more likely to suffer migraines – Four times more likely to be diagnosed with autoimmune disease**

Make space for more.

This International Women in Engineering Day, we’re not just celebrating trailblazers like Becca Weston. We’re making space for more to follow through mentorship, training, visibility, and yes, a bit of disruption.

We’re here to tell a different story about construction and engineering. One where women are seen, heard, respected, and supported at every stage of the journey.

So if you're a woman thinking about entering a trade, working in one already, or supporting someone who is, join us.