A welcoming, encouraging workplace for all nationalities at UKAEA

Created by VERCIDA for UKAEA

Eiman Elmushraf made a life-changing move from Sudan to the UK with UKAEA and now she is achieving major career goals in a supportive environment.

I grew up in Sudan – it is where I went to school and university, and then I started working at one of the country’s biggest air conditioning companies. While I was working there, I was growing very well in my role. It got to the point where I wanted to do my Master’s degree, but it was hard to find the right one in Sudan, so I ended up studying via distance learning at London’s Brunel University.

By 2018, I completed two masters degrees. As well as my UK degree in building services engineering with sustainable energy, I finished a Master’s in engineering management from Khartoum University. I was doing various engineering jobs with my own company, but I realised I needed to expand my horizons and work in a more developed market for a big company.

This is where UKAEA came in – it was exactly what I was looking for – and in November 2021, I moved to the UK to work as a mechanical building services engineer, specialising in heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC).

It was a big change to move to the UK after living in Sudan for my whole life. The culture is different and even things like opening a bank account or renting a flat can be difficult. But UKAEA has been so supportive. It is a company that considers diversity and encourages women in STEM.

There were challenges when I arrived here, but UKAEA did so much to help me settle in. We have so many nationalities at UKAEA, so the onboarding team is really good at helping people from different countries and cultures. It wasn’t always easy during my first month in the UK, but UKAEA sent me so much information before I arrived, and issued letters and references, so I could open my bank account and get my tenancy agreement. The systems with banks and landlords are very different here compared with Sudan.

When I was still in Sudan, I emailed the UKAEA onboarding team with so many questions about living and working in the UK, and they always responded – it made moving countries so much easier.

UKAEA has many internal networks to support its people. One of them is ENACT, a network for ethnicity, nationality and culture, as well as the women’s network. ENACT also has a subgroup for Women. I’ve even met another Sudanese female engineer here. It’s great to know that there are people here who understand you and your culture, as well as the struggles and challenges that you face when you leave your home country.

I love my job. Some people work in just the one building here, but as a HVAC engineer, I work for a team that gets involved across all parts of the site. We do design and installation work, as well as modification work on existing installations. Soon, we’ll be starting work on a decommissioning project.

At the moment, I am working on a laser enclosure, which is used for diagnostics. We have to make sure the area is well ventilated and the temperature is right in there, as well as ensuring the laser has a supply of chilled water. I’m working on the design and installation of the process that connects the chilled water system to the laser itself. The laser needs to be in a temperature range required by the manufacturers. I am also working on the design and installation of the right system to ensure the sensitive equipment inside the enclosure are operating in an appropriate environment.

One of the things I really love about working at UKAEA is the focus on personal development. One of my targets for this year is to become a chartered engineer. UKAEA provides the time and support, including the financial support, to be able to achieve this. We have dedicated time during working hours to be able to work towards our charterships.

I would like to stay with UKAEA for a long time. Women are encouraged to build their careers here. I am very comfortable in my position and I want to keep developing and meeting my goals.