Meet Maisie Tuttle

In the run-up to the upcoming Hydrogen Economist's Women in Hydrogen 50 Networking Reception, we had the pleasure of talking with Maisie Tuttle, Graduate Process Engineer at Kent and a rising star on the Hydrogen Economist 2023 list.

Maisie tells us about her experience with the Kent Graduate Programme and the way it helped her transition from education into work. She emphasises the importance of female representation in the energy industry and talks about the shift towards decarbonisation and the role that young graduates can play in driving this change.

You joined Kent as a graduate engineer in 2020. Can you tell us a bit about your role and how the Kent Graduate Programme helped your transition from education into work?

Since joining Kent in 2020 I have worked on a range of short consultancy scopes and longer design projects in both the traditional oil and gas and energy transition spaces. As a graduate, from day one you work on real projects for major clients. This might seem daunting being fresh out of education but Kent offers a fantastic support system that made me feel confident in my work. I found my team was very supportive with technical queries but also general guidance on moving to a new city and adjusting to working life. As well as this there is a structures learning plan with tailored modules designed to help you at every stage of the programme.

What do you enjoy most about working at Kent? And how do you think your work will contribute to a more sustainable future for the energy industry and the UK as a whole?

Kent has a real focus on its people. Everyone you meet at Kent has a passion for what they do. I love working in a team where everyone has their own beliefs and backgrounds yet we all share a common goal of working towards a more sustainable future. Bringing all these people together with different perspectives means we get so much innovation and collaboration on our projects. I think this helps to think of new ways to tackle the biggest challenge we are facing – building a sustainable energy industry for not only the UK but the whole world.

As a young process engineer, what is your perspective on the future of the energy industry and how it is shifting towards decarbonisation?

I have only been working for 3 years now and I have already seen a shift in the work that comes in from clients. There is real emphasis on working towards net zero and reducing emissions. It’s encouraging to see the shift towards decarbonisation and exciting as a young engineer to be involved in the change. I am hopefully that we can keep being a part of the energy transition through a combination of design projects that make a real impact in the short term and concept studies that can develop more solutions for the years to come.

What are some of the challenges that women face in the energy industry, and what steps do you think companies like Kent can take to address them?

I think the main challenge faced by women in the industry is under representation. I believe there needs to be more women in higher positions to act as role models to the younger generation.

Have you found that Kent provides a supportive environment for women to advance their careers, and if so, how has this contributed to your own professional growth and development?

At Kent you can find female role models at every level in the business. I find this inspiring as a young engineer to see examples of women succeeding and having brilliant careers. There are lots of women I can turn to for support and advice. We also encourage the next generation to choose a STEM career path by engaging in outreach programmes.

If you are inspired by Maisie's experience at Kent and have recently or are soon to be graduated, take a look at our Early Careers opportunities.