Celebrating International Women’s Day – Each and Every Day

With origins dating back to the early 1900s, International Women’s Day (IWD) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender equality.

With 8 March 2026 marking an extraordinary milestone of 115 years IWD remains a global, annual event focused on gender equality and celebrating women’s achievements.

As 11 per cent of our workforce is made up of women in diverse rolls across the company we wanted to shine a spotlight on their achievements and also use this as an opportunity to demonstrate that working in manufacturing and engineering, doesn’t always have to be on the shop floor.

We asked Joanne Farms, Business Development Manager and Katie Bingham, HR Manager to answer a couple of short questions around working for a leading sheet metal fabrication company.

What do you enjoy about working at Hydram?

Joanne: “I have worked at Hydram for 22 years and have never looked back. Every day is different, which makes for an exciting and rewarding career. Being part of a supportive and positive workforce also makes the job truly enjoyable.

“Manufacturing is the backbone of Britain and something we should celebrate and be proud of. The contribution we make as an industry is vital to the strength of our country.”

Katie: “As HR Manager, and having been with Hydram for just under two years, I can honestly say there are no boring days. Manufacturing is fast-paced and hands-on, and I enjoy working closely with both our office and shop floor teams to support development, recruitment and progression across the business.

“Seeing people grow in what is traditionally a male-dominated industry is incredibly rewarding.”

What advice would you give to other women considering manufacturing?

Joanne: “I would encourage any woman not to be afraid of pursuing a career in manufacturing. The opportunities are incredibly diverse, ranging from accounts and machine operation to engineering and technical roles. It’s also very rewarding to see how your work contributes to building trains, diggers, and the latest power generation technologies that support communities across the UK.”

Katie: “Don’t let perception hold you back. Manufacturing today offers real career progression, technical development and long-term opportunities across a wide range of roles. If you’re willing to learn and get involved, there’s space to build a successful and fulfilling career.”

As one of the largest sheet metal fabrication companies in the UK, Hydram operates from a 135,000 sq ft facility, employing around 200 employees. It is currently recruiting for a number of roles, check them out here and join a fast-paced and diverse company https://hydram.co.uk/careers/