Construction World October 2018

There is a lot of talk about engineering companies and how they need to be more family-friendly to keep their female employees, do you think this is an issue? SN: It’s definitely a struggle to maintain a bal- ance between family and work. It just means we have to work smarter and efficiently. WB: I know at least three engineers that decided to work half day when their chil- dren were born. I think that with technology today female engineers can easily work from home and fulfil their job obligations at the same time. CP: As a female within a male dominated industry, I knew what I was getting into. Yes, we have more responsibilities when we have families and kids but we are able to multi- task and take on any challenge. 

CP: I love that I get to travel and work both in the design and construction aspect of our industry, and working with such experienced and mentoring colleagues is an added benefit. Geosynthetics fascinates me, it is an uncon- ventional approach to solving engineering problems. In this job every day is an adven- ture, we go to different sites, experience dif- ferent problems and come up with innovative Geosynthetic solutions for these problems. YN: Every single day is different; projects vary from pavement optimisation to retain- ing structures: Variety makes for a very enjoyable job because I could never do a standard 8 to 5. SP: I am able to practice engineering, but also grasp a bit of sales, marketing and business administration. The ever-changing challenges keep me on my toes thinking of

workable solutions. What I love most about my job is that we are always at the forefront of new technologies and the advancement in the geosynthetic field. WB: I have been with Kaytech for 11 years now and have grown so much in the field of Geosynthetics and love every minute of it. I have built strong relationships with my clients and love dealing with people. MA: I love that we are kept up to date with construction methods and that we cover such a variety of products. Our sites take us from roads and bridges to marine life and solid waste projects. Geosynthetics replace the conventional way of thinking and the benefits are that we save on labour, materi- als, plant, maintenance, and create a simpler way of construction; it excites me to be a part of all these changes.