Katelyn Dunbar, a service engineer in Finning UK & Eire’s information centre workforce, displays on her apprenticeship journey and why seen function fashions and earlier encouragement matter if we’re severe about constructing the workforce that retains vital infrastructure powered.
Not everybody has had an training in engineering like Katelyn Dunbar. Aged 9, she was constructing engines on the kitchen desk alongside her father Paddy, prepared for the weekends after they would hit the native Scorching Rod race observe.
Her Christmas checklist featured not the newest must-have toys however mechanical instruments, and when it got here to picking which topics to pursue at college, design and know-how have been her first decisions. It was a studying expertise like no different and marked out her first steps on a profession path in engineering.
At this time, following a four-year apprenticeship in service engineering with Finning UK & Eire, the world’s largest Caterpillar vendor, Katelyn is a key member of the corporate’s information centre workforce, and the primary lady in Eire to finish a Finning apprenticeship.
From vital healthcare to next-gen retail and e-commerce experiences, information centres lie on the coronary heart of the newest technological providers – and it’s right down to Katelyn and her colleagues to maintain them powered.
A typical day ranges from troubleshooting points to routine checks, diagnostics and repairs. However the whole lot, right down to finishing the paperwork and following strict safety procedures, is a vital a part of the emergency backup system assist which retains the world on-line. Crucially, there’s no room for error.
Efficient information centre administration is significant for at the moment’s companies. The infrastructure is made up of 4 vital pillars that give the system its power and resilience. This consists of information safety, vitality effectivity, enterprise continuity and optimised efficiency. The information centre workforce at Finning must be the perfect in its league to maintain shoppers linked.
Katelyn’s objective is to take such excellent care of the ability techniques below her supervision that the digital world adapts seamlessly to future technical advances whereas sustaining long-term efficiency. In her care, these techniques shall be prepared and lively for when they’re wanted most.
“The world is so information hungry,” mentioned Katelyn.
“The problem now’s assembly the calls for for vitality that information centres want however in a extra sustainable approach. Switching from diesel to HVO (hydrotreated vegetable oil) was a large step ahead and up to now, we’ve been capable of keep a top quality supply of mission-critical energy.
“Supporting steady operations is significant. In information centres we are likely to work on something from a 12-cylinder to a 20-cylinder engine. The secret is to take such excellent care of them that we don’t should face rebuilds or huge restore jobs. Though for somebody like me, I discover the entire expertise of rebuilding an engine completely unimaginable.
“I’ve labored on a Caterpillar 3618 excessive efficiency marine engine and that was huge. I’m 6ft tall and it’s double the peak of me. The apprenticeship allowed me to discover these different areas in addition to particular generator coaching and by doing that we have now plenty of concepts and experiences to attract on in our information centre assist.
“Now after doing that engine rebuild course three years in the past, I get to return and do rebuilds with new apprentices the place I’m the engineer.”
Primarily based in Dublin, Katelyn is effectively positioned to hone her abilities. Eire is now house to greater than 80 information centres, contributing about €7.3 billion to the nation’s economic system. With a few of Eire’s largest employers working within the information centre business, there’s a regular stream of profession alternatives to faucet into.
As a part of her apprenticeship, which noticed her qualify as a degree three electromechanical technician, Katelyn studied a variety of programs to assist her perceive the important function of sustaining system integrity. The multi-disciplinary coaching lined gas techniques, engine diagnostics and electrical fundamentals, amongst different purposes. In a world the place information era is frequently choosing up velocity, steady studying {and professional} growth is crucial in a job which mixes emergency call-outs and routine assignments.
“I began the apprenticeship with Finning straight from faculty,” mentioned Katelyn.
“My father was a plant fitter within the development sector, and it sparked my curiosity at a younger age. Making use of for the apprenticeship was a aggressive course of with just a few locations out there every year.
“However that is such a rewarding profession. Whereas we’re relied on to reply to emergencies in addition to routine repairs and upkeep, the final word output is that we’re holding the digital world operating whether or not that be for hospitals or cloud customers.
“There’s a big demand for the work we do and it’s actually supporting the Irish economic system. I work in information centres, however the apprenticeship allowed me to discover comparable roles within the development, commissioning and marine industries. It’s exhausting work however we play a extremely essential function, alongside different distributors and utility engineers, to maintain business powered.”
Whereas Katelyn has her dad Paddy to thank for her ardour for downside fixing and understanding techniques to enhance product efficiency, she hopes to additionally play an element in inspiring the following era of engineers.
Pondering again to her personal journey, Katelyn believes deeply in encouraging younger folks, notably women, to think about engineering as a profession earlier than they get to secondary faculty.
“I don’t assume women are essentially afraid of going for jobs in male-dominated industries,” she mentioned.
“I feel it’s extra the case that by the point we get to secondary faculty age, minds are already made up about the kind of profession somebody desires to pursue.
“My very own expertise has been very optimistic and whereas it may need felt a bit daunting and intimidating to enter the office at first, what new job doesn’t really feel like that? I consider if we have now extra girls speaking about their roles and achievements and performing as STEM advocates, youngsters as younger as main faculty age will get used to eager about how they’ll use their skills to make a distinction.
“We would be capable to plant these seeds earlier than pupils transfer on to school or secondary faculty the place science may begin to appear much less engaging as a profession choice.”
And Katelyn could effectively have some extent. Analysis by Microsoft discovered that women within the UK turn out to be taken with STEM topics simply earlier than they flip 11 however this drops sharply after they flip 16. Schooling programmes tailor-made to supporting information centre features are additionally on the rise however for Katelyn, staying curious is crucial to gaining these technical proficiencies which make her experience stand out.
As such a hands-on learner herself, whether or not it was trackside fixing up her dad’s Toyota Starlet at Wexford, dismantling an engine in cramped quarters on a ferry or main a fault-finding mission at an information centre web site, Katelyn believes apprenticeships are important for offering alternatives for development.
“To be trustworthy, I’d by no means heard of an influence techniques engineer till I joined Finning,” she mentioned.
“But when somebody is taken with engineering they need to simply go for it. The extra younger folks, particularly women, come ahead and share their ardour for engineering, then the chances are much more will observe. On the finish of the day, the mills can’t go down.”
