Shortening the gender gap in the hydraulics industry

11 October, 2022

Jess Craddock

Kirsty Allsop has worked at Pirtek UK and Ireland for three years but has a long history in the fluid power industry, working in gas and hydraulics for almost 10 years. From a young age, she knew she wanted to be involved with building engines and studied motor vehicles at college. From there, Allsop worked in a body shop and discovered a passion for both making and fixing things related to engines. So, when the job at Pirtek was advertised it was an easy decision to make.

“I do a lot of heavy plant work and it’s really rewarding,” she says. “Yes, it can be difficult work – sometimes in situations that are not particularly pleasant to work in. However, fixing things is my passion and almost every type of industry involves hydraulics somewhere, so it’s a great way to learn about a very broad range of engines.”

Keeping calm in pressured environments

Allsop comments: “Ultimately, being able to do my job isn’t about being a man or a woman; it’s about knowing how to be a good technician and keeping calm in pressured environments. If you can do all that then there is nothing that you cannot achieve.”

Jess Craddock (pictured) has been in the job for less than 12 months but being the only woman on her team operating out of Ellesmere Port doesn’t faze her. She previously worked in a factory as a fuel fitter for Airbus. So, does being a woman create challenges on site? “Not at all,” exclaims Craddock. “It’s a great talking point with many of my customers and I believe that it has become the foundation of many of the great business relationships I now have.”

MSTs in the hydraulics industry need to be efficient at problem solving, able to think on their feet and capable of establishing a sound rapport with customers. These are all qualities that Allsop and Craddock have proven themselves to have.

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