Teresa Frost, an assistant quality manager at Cormac Solutions, features in an exhibition which is on display at One Great George Street, the headquarters of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) in London.

The exhibition is part of the ICE’s initiative to increase the number of its female fellows, ICE Connects: Women in Fellowship.

Teresa, who is from St Austell, is one of 16 women from around the world who have been chosen to share their stories. A highways engineer by background, she now works to bring Level 3, Level 4 and Level 6 apprentices through their civil engineering training.

She sees ICE Fellowship as giving her the ability to have a greater and more positive influence on her profession’s development.

“We need more ICE Fellows, and especially female ones, and my story demonstrates how they can also achieve what I have. I’m a highway engineer. I sort drainage. I’m not a town and country planner, a strategic road builder, I don’t have a bridge named after me, yet I’m now a member of this ‘exclusive’ club.

“I get to meet other Fellows, join panels, talk about policy and give opinions. I’m a part of that higher echelon of civil engineers but, as an ICE Fellow, I also get to guide others through the process to become one, too.

“I help to run workshops that take in suitable candidates and show them how their experiences both inside and outside work are relevant. One applicant we had, for instance, was an engineer whose hobby was working at a historical railway. He hadn’t even considered that the bridge inspections and all the other things he was doing in his spare time could count towards a professional qualification.”

The highest grade of membership at the institution, Fellowship recognises those who have made outstanding contributions to civil and infrastructure engineering and society.

Historically, women have made up a small percentage of the Fellowship portion of membership, despite the overall number of female ICE members increasing. ICE Connects: Women in Fellowship has already achieved considerable success; since it started in 2021, it has grown their number by more than 45 percent.

By showcasing the wide variety of careers possible within civil engineering – each of the 16 ICE Fellows has a different story to tell – the exhibition highlights the many challenging and rewarding routes into the profession, as well as the opportunities available.

The exhibition, in the main hall at One Great George Street, takes the form of a banner display. Each banner features a different female fellow, a quote from her, and a QR code that links to a more detailed feature story on the ICE website. The exhibition will take place in four parts, and Teresa’s banner will be on display from 7 October to 8 November 2024.

ICE director of regions Jenny Green, who spearheads the ICE Connects: Women in Fellowship programme, said: “We set up the initiative to address the enduring misconceptions of who and what a ‘typical’ civil engineer at the highest level is.

“The women featured in this exhibition come from a broad range of backgrounds and have wide-ranging expertise. Their collective experience highlights the diverse careers within civil and infrastructure engineering, and the importance of celebrating professional accomplishments.

“The profession needs to attract and retain the best talent to tackle the challenges society faces. We want to highlight individual stories that encourage more women to consider becoming civil engineers or pursue careers in infrastructure, and to encourage them to aspire to the highest levels – it may be more achievable than they think!”