Cambridge engineer named Young Woman Engineer of the Year

A woman from Cambridge has been named Young Woman Engineer of the Year by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET).

Ama Frimpong, 33, who is a head of product development at 52 North Health, secured the accolade at the IET’s Young Woman Engineer of the Year Awards ceremony.

Ama said: “Wow, I feel truly honoured to be named the IET’s 2022 Young Woman Engineer of the Year, joining a line-up of incredible women who have come before me. As someone who has a passion for all things STEM, it’s amazing to have my work in medicine and healthcare recognised by leaders from across the industry.

“Growing up, I didn’t see any women engineers that looked like me, but thanks to the YWE awards, girls growing up today will see that there is a place in the exciting world of engineering for them. I want to use this platform to make a difference and encourage and inspire the engineers of tomorrow to change the world.”

Dr Laura Norton, head of equality, diversity and inclusion at the IET, said: “Engineers must develop products and services for everyone, but with women making up just 16.5% of the sector’s workforce, how can we ensure diversity of thought and innovation in order to create the right solutions for everyone? Awards like this are crucial for raising the profile of women within engineering and providing real-life role models to younger generations to encourage greater diversity within the industry.

“I’d like to congratulate our fantastic winners and finalists of this year’s awards. They are a real credit to the engineering profession and make excellent role models to young girls who might be thinking about a career in engineering and technology.

“It’s vital we champion engineering careers to the next generation – it’s a diverse, creative and exciting career, which offers the opportunity to change lives, or even the world.”

In addition to highlighting and celebrating engineering talent, the IET Young Woman Engineer of the Year Awards seek to find role models who can help address the UK science and engineering skills crisis by promoting engineering careers to more girls and women. The IET says the awards also “aim to help change the perception that engineering is predominantly a career for men by banishing outdated engineering stereotypes of hard hats and dirty overalls."

The winners were announced at the awards ceremony on December 1 at IET London’s Savoy Place home.

Ama Frimpong, the IET's Young Woman Engineer of the Year 2022. Image courtesy of the IET.

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