As we extend the entry closing date for 2024, Lily Erskine, our 2023 Emerging Professional Award winner, shares her experience of the ACE awards.

Entering the awards 

“I’d encourage anyone who’s thinking about entering the ACE Consultancy and Engineering Awards, to do so. Being shortlisted and winning an award is a reflection of your company’s standing in the industry as well as your own hard work. 

The ACE awards presentation dinner attracts people from across the whole UK infrastructure sector and includes all disciplines, so they are a big deal, and it does mean a lot to win. Meeting peers from around the UK and from some of the big-name consultancies at the dinner itself was a great experience. Winning has, of course, also boosted my reputation within the industry.

The Winning Entry 

Completing my award submission was fairly straightforward. I highlighted my specialism in finding solutions to the complexities of conservation engineering. Whether it’s preserving historic structures or ensuring their reuse, each project must be approached with diligence and creativity. You never know what you might find under the surface of a boarded wall or what way a historic building may be supported, so challenges crop up on a regular basis. 

I also enjoy being a team leader, I manage a group of enthusiastic junior engineers. I have a supportive and empowering leadership approach to encourage growth and collaboration across the team. I wrote about the importance of mentorship and professional development for my submission. 

The Grand Project: Transforming a Georgian School 

The largest part of my entry covered the most significant project I am working on, the refurbishment of a listed Georgian school in Edinburgh dating back to the 1820s. When it was first refurbished in the ‘70s, it was intended to be the seat of Parliament but that never came to fruition and instead the building was left unused for several decades. Today, the building is undergoing transformation into a vibrant music centre. One of the big challenges has been to preserve the building’s integrity while constructing new spaces underneath.  

Advocacy and Outreach 

For this entry, it was important to show the contributions I make to engineering and society at large beyond technical achievements. I believe in championing the engineering profession, especially for women and LGBTQ+ individuals. I included: 

1. STEM Outreach: I actively participate in STEM outreach programmes, engaging with schools and at other community events. My goal is to inspire young people from all backgrounds to consider joining the next generation of engineers. 
2. Career Ready Programme: Narro, where I work, is an employee-owned firm and I like to contribute to the career ready programme. This scheme offers paid living wage work experience opportunities that provide valuable experience to young talent, and I enjoy mentoring them along the way, even if they decide to follow a different career. 
3. Visibility Matters: As an openly gay woman, I recognise the importance of visibility. By being visible and successful in my field, I aim to encourage others to embrace their identities and pursue engineering careers. I am on the Scottish IStructE Committee and champion inclusion and diversity. 

Breaking Barriers: Scotland’s First Female Conservation Accredited Engineer and Beyond 

Lily has made the ground-breaking achievement of becoming the first woman to receive accreditation for conservation engineering in Scotland. This prestigious accreditation is complex to achieve and held by only 100 engineering professionals worldwide.  

Lily acknowledges that there is still plenty of work to do and added, “It’s still challenging to get women into engineering, let alone in my field. I’m passionate about helping young women see the benefits of engineering as a career.” 

If you would like more information about the ACE Awards contact us here.