Students at Wakefield Girls’ High School have been encouraged to pursue a career in engineering following an inspirational talk this month from Sarah Honeyman, Lead Product Designer at Sutcliffe Play.
Sarah was invited back to the school after a similar visit in 2019 to discuss her journey from pupil at Wakefield Girls’ High School, through to her Product Design studies at Leeds University, before eventually joining Sutcliffe Play in 2014 as a Junior Designer.
As part of the visit, students were tasked with designing a piece of play equipment that has consideration for children with disabilities, an important aspect we look at when designing equipment at Sutcliffe Play.
Sarah, whose responsibilities include the development of new playground equipment from conception through to manufacture, said: “It’s great to be able to visit my old school once again and to give the girls an insight into my line of work. Discussing design and engineering with the pupils and offering them practical experience will be helpful to them when looking to carve out their own career path.
“Since joining Sutcliffe Play seven years ago, I have progressed from a junior to a lead designer, taking responsibility for various aspects of engineering, to costings and product certification. It’s vital that young women embrace the opportunities available to them in what was historically a male dominated industry.”
