National Inclusion Week, taking place from 14–20 September, is an opportunity to celebrate the importance of creating workplaces where everyone feels valued, supported and able to reach their full potential.
At Arrotek, we believe inclusion is about creating an environment where people can develop their skills, progress in their careers and maintain a healthy balance between work and life outside of work.
As a medical device design and manufacturing company, we are also keen to encourage more women to consider careers in engineering and STEM. Women at Arrotek contribute across engineering, manufacturing, quality, validation, technical and support functions, bringing a wide range of skills and experience to our business.
To mark National Inclusion Week, we spoke to five women from across Arrotek about their experiences of working with us, what they value about their roles and the opportunities they have had to develop throughout their careers.
Áine O’Grady
Sales & Support – Sales Department
Having been part of the Arrotek team for more than 14 years, Aine has built a long-term career with the company while balancing work and family life.
“As a mum of young boys, I really value the work-life balance Arrotek offers. Having the opportunity to take extended time away from work during the summer months to be with my children is incredibly valuable to me. It allows me to be present for those significant moments in their lives without having to worry about compromising, which is hugely important to me as they are only young for a short time. Flexitime is also one of the biggest perks of the role for me. Having the flexibility to adjust my start and finish times makes it much easier to balance my work and family commitments, while also giving me greater control over my day. It reduces stress, allows me to be there for family activities, and ultimately helps me feel more productive and motivated at work.”
Aine’s 14+ years with Arrotek is a great example of how a career can develop and evolve over time, while having the flexibility to accommodate different stages of life.
Michelle Meehan
Accounts Assistant – Finance Department
For Michelle, flexibility and equal opportunities are two of the things she values most about working at Arrotek.
“The flexitime is amazing, and the opportunity to work from home is another huge benefit. It means I can be there for some of the school drop-offs and pick-ups, which makes a big difference to me as a mum and helps me manage my family and work commitments. I’ve also found that there are equal opportunities for everyone, regardless of role. Everyone is treated fairly and given the same opportunities to develop, progress and grow within the organisation, which I really value.”
Megan Devaney
Quality Engineer – Quality Department
Megan highlights the combination of flexibility and professional development as important parts of her experience at Arrotek.
“The work-life balance at Arrotek is a huge benefit, particularly with the combination of flexitime and working from home. As a mum, it gives me the flexibility to work around school drop-offs and pick-ups, which makes balancing work and family life much easier. I also feel there are no barriers to progression within Arrotek. I’ve had the opportunity to complete several courses, including auditing, risk management, and Medical Devices ISO 13485, which have helped me develop my skills and progress within my role.”
Karina Belavenceva
Design Engineer – Engineering Department
Karina has particularly valued the opportunities to develop her knowledge and skills, as well as the supportive environment within the engineering team.
“One of the things I really value about working at Arrotek is the encouragement to upskill and develop your knowledge. They recognise that there can be knowledge gaps and actively support you in closing those gaps through training and development opportunities. I have taken the opportunity to complete a Validation Technologies cert through ATU Sligo Springboard. Engineering can traditionally be a male-dominated environment, but I’ve found the team at Arrotek to be incredibly supportive and encouraging. Everyone is willing to make time to explain things, demonstrate processes and guide you when you need support. The flexitime is another great benefit. Having the flexibility to start and finish within set times gives you more control over your working day and makes it much easier to balance work alongside your life outside of work.”
Caitlin Greene
Associate Design Engineer – Engineering Department
Caitlin’s career journey demonstrates the opportunities available to develop and progress within Arrotek. She started as an Operator, progressed to Engineering Assistant and is now an Associate Design Engineer.
“One of the main reasons I would recommend Arrotek is the flexitime, as it allows me to work around everything in my life. Finishing earlier on a Friday is also a nice treat. It’s not a stressful environment and everyone is very supportive and helpful. If you ask someone a question and they don’t know the answer, they will always point you in the right direction. Arrotek also encourages development, which I have experienced throughout my own career. I started as an Operator, progressed to Engineering Assistant and am now an Associate Design Engineer. The company has supported me through a variety of courses including SolidWorks and polymers which helped me further develop my career in engineering. I am also now about to start my Lean Sigma Green Belt training.”
Supporting our people
Creating an inclusive workplace means recognising that employees have different needs at different stages of their lives.
Alongside opportunities for learning, development and career progression, Arrotek offers a range of benefits designed to support our employees both professionally and personally.
These include flexitime and flexible working opportunities, professional development and educational assistance, health insurance, a company pension scheme, annual leave service increments, wellbeing initiatives, a subsidised Sport & Social Club, company events and paid maternity, paternity and adoptive leave.
For us, these benefits are part of creating a workplace where people can build rewarding careers while also having the flexibility to manage the commitments and priorities that matter to them outside of work.
Encouraging more women into STEM
We want to continue encouraging more women and girls to consider careers in STEM and to see engineering as a career where they can learn, progress and make a difference.
The experiences of Aine, Michelle, Megan, Karina and Caitlin show that there is no single route into or through an engineering career. Whether developing technical skills, progressing through different roles, balancing family commitments or continuing to learn and upskill, there are opportunities to build a career at Arrotek.
This National Inclusion Week, we are proud to recognise the women across our organisation and the contribution they make to our teams, our projects and the medical devices we help bring to life.
Interested in building your career at Arrotek? Explore our current career opportunities and discover where your career could take you.
