ACR Journal

ACR industry June | July 2021 40 WOMEN IN ACR Linda McVittie, sales manager for J & E Hall in Scotland, explains what it’s like to be a woman working in an industry dominated by men and how this has not stopped her from forging a successful career. technical knowledge, initially, it was to improve my capabilities in my job role as a sales o ce administrator at Star Refrigeration. Some people thought I had gone mad attempting to combine degree studies with having a husband, two young sons and a full-time job. Having been away from academia for nine years and only completed on-the-job learning about refrigeration for six years or so, thankfully, I didn’t go full throttle into the Engineering Degree and CEng accreditation. I started by completing Refrigeration City & Guilds courses via distance learning. At that time, I felt that, as a female, I needed this level of qualification to gain credibility in the refrigeration industry. I was meeting on site with engineering managers, and some would look over my shoulder and watch for the refrigeration engineer to appear – thinking it couldn’t possibly be me. I am grateful to Star Refrigeration, especially Andy Pearson, who I worked alongside in technical sales, for their support and encouragement at the time. In 1993 my Higher qualifications in maths and sciences, City & Guilds qualifications and on-the-job training gained me entry on to a four-year one-day plus one evening a week BSc degree course in Building Services Engineering at Glasgow Caledonian University. The course comprised a perfect mix of relevant subjects and designed for mature students. I was with a group of seven male classmates and really enjoyed my years at the university. What advice can you give to a young woman starting now? No matter where you start, access and learn about all the diverse areas of refrigeration, and if you need additional studies or training, don’t be afraid to seek it out. It might not happen overnight, but you can eventually settle into a long and rewarding career in an area you enjoy. I am involved in the Women in Refrigeration, Air Conditioning, Heat Pump (RACHP) network, and this is one of its initiatives. I see a tremendous increase in the support, encouragement, and opportunities available for young people to join the refrigeration industry. It’s great to see J & E Hall taking on more new apprentices this year and continuing to support women in industry initiatives. Refrigeration was a very male-dominated industry, and there were no obvious opportunities for females when I first started my career unless you sought them yourself. I’m sure there will be a levelling out in the ratio of males to females in the not-too-distant future. What are some of your career highlights? Apart from working for great companies, meeting great people and completing some exciting projects throughout my career, I’d say: • Achieving my degree in Building Services Engineering (BSc) at Glasgow Caledonian University and continuing to work and learn the remainder of the week and holidays as a sales technical engineer (1993 to 1997). Volume 7 No.4 Tell us about your job My job is to assess and calculate clients’ cooling requirements, then design and propose the best solution. If I am successful with my technical proposal, I hand over the project to my contracting team to install and commission the turnkey project. The industries I encounter include food, beverage, pharmaceutical, building services and leisure. I have specialised in the design of ice rink refrigeration plant since the late 1990s. The projects I’ve been involved in include Murrayfield, Braehead, Aberdeen, Dundee, Kirkcaldy, Stirling, Lockerbie, twin rinks in She eld, Newcastle and North Ashfield. As one of the handful of female pioneers trying to forge a path in a male-dominated environment, what were the key qualities you needed? When I decided to embark on gaining Linda McVittie, sales manager, J & E Hall