CalMac crew mark International Women in Engineering Day

Today (23 June) marks International Women in Engineering Day (INWED), a global celebration of the achievements of women working across the engineering profession.

At CalMac, engineers Lauren Moore and Tarina McDonald are sharing their experiences and why they believe more women should follow in their footsteps.

CalMac is well above industry average for females in maritime (industry standard is 3% we are 12.8%) and our engineering apprenticeships positively encourage female applicants.

Tarina, who is currently assigned to MV Loch Indaal, began her maritime career through a cadetship with P&O Nedlloyd on deep-sea container ships before moving to Scotland and joining CalMac in 2009.

In response to being asked if she would recommend her career choice, she said: “I would encourage other women to go for it, there is no reason not to. It’s rewarding, fulfilling and no two days are the same. It’s nothing like you might imagine it to be.”

Having spent more than 17 years with the company, Tarina believes days such as International Women in Engineering Day play an important role in raising awareness and challenging perceptions of the profession.

She added: “It’s important to highlight that women are as capable as anyone else in doing almost any job. CalMac has a lot of diversity in its employees and the number of women in engineering is growing.

“However, the gap in numbers is an industry-wide issue. Highlighting that women can be supported in engineering roles, whether shore-based or at sea, can help increase those numbers, and that’s what this day is about.”

Lauren, from Oban, joined CalMac in September 2024 and has spent the past year working on MV Isle of Lewis, while also serving as a relief engineer across the fleet.

Despite being relatively new to the industry, she says she has found the role both rewarding and enjoyable.

Lauren said: “I really enjoy it, although it can be challenging at times.”

She is keen to encourage other women to explore engineering careers: “I would say absolutely go for it. It can be daunting going into a male-dominated field, but it’s definitely worth it.”