In conjunction with International Women in Engineering Day (INWED), Tetra Pak highlights the need to improve diversity in Food and Beverage (F&B) manufacturing to tackle some of the most pressing issues facing the sector: food safety, food availability, and sustainability.
Tetra Pak identifies an opportunity for more women to join the F&B manufacturing industry, to bring more diversity and help drive transformational change. A considerable variety of skillsets is required to boost innovation in the food packaging industry, ranging from mechanical and automation engineering to microbiology and food science. According to the World Economic Forum’s Gender Gap report, women make up only a third of roles in the manufacturing sector, dropping to just 21% at a senior executive level.
“This year’s International Women in Engineering Day (INWED) #EngineeringHeroes theme has never been so apt. Our global food systems face many challenges – in terms of climate change, food safety, hygiene, and distribution. The Covid-19 pandemic has shone a light on critical environmental issues and the importance of food safety and availability. We need all hands on deck to address these evolving challenges,” says Michael Wu, Managing Director of Tetra Pak Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, and Indonesia.
Tetra Pak Malaysia’s Senior Process Engineer, Wong Oi Lee, says: “I see an opportunity for more women to join as engineers in the F&B manufacturing industry to make an impact. In a male-dominated field, gender-diverse teams balance soft and hard skill sets, emotional maturity, and capabilities. My role is to design processing lines for our customers to help them manufacture and pack food products that are safe, hygienic, and nutritious. It involves working with teams to meet deadlines and budgets throughout the project life cycle, from an empty building or plot of land to a completed plant installed with equipment. Situations can get challenging when meeting deadlines; therefore, having a diverse team helps.”
NurLiyana Salehuddin Tan joined Tetra Pak Malaysia six years ago as the first female Field Services Engineer in Tetra Pak Malaysia. After two years of maintaining equipment and machines, troubleshooting and installing new kits and equipment, she then moved on to her current role of Cluster System Performance Specialist.
