Spotlight on EngTech: Hannah Myatt
In our ongoing series of case studies, we spoke to Hannah Myatt, Senior Control Engineer at Cadent and Engineering Technician (EngTech) member of IGEM.
Hannah's deep-seated interest in engineering sparked during her childhood and has only grown stronger over the years, evolving into a lifelong passion that continues to drive her today.
“Growing up, my dad was always my role model. He encouraged me to go into work with him and it gave me a real idea of what working within the engineering industry is like.”
Getting started
After years of seeing behind the scenes, Hannah began her career at Cadent in its engineering trainee programme.
During her two years on the programme, she completed training courses, visited sites and received departmental overviews.
Hannah then proceeded to qualify as a Control Engineer within Cadent’s Energy Control Centre where she then gained her IGEM EngTech status.
She decided to join IGEM once qualified to amplify her learning and development. Hannah said: “Joining IGEM has allowed me to develop my knowledge of the gas industry. I have attended multiple events across the country that impact my work in ways that I was not even aware of.
“IGEM membership has also allowed me to meet different people across the industry and make new connections.”
The Engineering Technician status provides Hannah with credibility as it is a widely recognised title across the industry and proves her abilities as an engineer.
Moving up
In August 2022, Hannah was then promoted to a Senior Control Engineer within Cadent. In her role, she now carries out preparation, planning and delivery of planned and reactive maintenance activities across the East Midlands and East Anglia networks.
Her team are responsible for being the liaison between energy operations and the wider business, to create strategies and ensure the network is running as safely and efficiently as possible.
Hannah’s standout moment of her career so far is winning a ‘Cadent Hero’ award for protecting the planet.
Accompanied by a colleague, their work changed the policy for purging new services to reduce emissions.
Working as a woman in the industry is something that Hannah finds empowering and hasn’t impacted or hindered her development at all.
She encourages women across the gas industry not to doubt their abilities or feel put off by applying for engineering roles.
Looking ahead
Focusing on the future, Hannah is currently studying towards a degree in engineering with hopes to gain an Incorporated Engineer status.
She hopes to expand her knowledge further within the gas industry and pursue opportunities that push her out of her comfort zone.
With the oncoming energy transition, she is excited to see how it will impact her current role in the Energy Control Centre and how the gas networks will be managed.
Hannah also hopes to continue volunteering at careers fairs, encouraging students to consider a future in engineering.
She said: “Careers fairs at schools and colleges are a really good way to encourage people to join the industry, especially when coupled with interactive activities to show students real life engineering examples.
“I have volunteered at multiple careers fairs in the past and then seen students apply to the training schemes that Cadent offer, much like the one I started out on.”
Hannah encourages anyone working in the industry to get out and see as much as you can: “There is so much going on the in the gas world outside of your own role, getting out will provide you with an invaluable experience.”