4 Mar 2024

Women in Construction Week 2024 – Meet Mailys Lafayette, Caulking & Coatings Engineer

“I started my journey with Altrad Group in 2018 as an intern for caulking engineering. From there, I moved onto the Flamanville Power Station, spending two years in there in caulking field.

“Last year, I’ve been seconded to Hinkley Point C, still focussing on caulking, but a little bit different. Unlike in Flamanville where I was actively managing the caulking activity, here at Hinkley Point C, a lot of my work is preparatory for the near future.

“Maths has always been a passion of mine, despite the competitive and sometimes gender-biased challenges I faced in school and university. At times, it seemed as though the pursuit of diversity in engineering was more a checkbox for universities to increase their ratings, rather than a real commitment to equality. Women made up an average of 30% of the student population in engineering schools in France. The lack of female presence in the engineering section often led to competition rather than creating a supportive environment.

“However, at Hinkley Point C, the dynamic is positively different. Our team is led by a woman, and being a part of her team is truly empowering. We get treated equally here, which is a refreshing change. Gender doesn’t define one’s intelligence.”