You can make it! Precision Engineering with Determination
Erika Skuthorpe
In a workshop filled with powerful machinery, Erika Skuthorpe transforms raw metal into precisely engineered components that support critical infrastructure across Australia. As a Fitter and Turner specialising in CNC machining, she works in a field where women remain rare—a challenge she’s met with quiet determination.
“I’ll say I’m a Fitter and Turner and I do more of the CNC machining side and no one ever knows what I’m talking about,” Erika explains. “We have big machines, including lathes and mills. We turn steel into shapes and drill holes and all that in it. We specialise in hydraulic bolt tensioning. We send our tools to power stations and mine sites.”
Finding Her Path
Erika’s journey to manufacturing wasn’t obvious from her early interests. Growing up, she was focused on sport and initially pursued different careers.
“Growing up I didn’t know about any of it. I was right into soccer. That’s all I did,” she recalls. “When I was a kid, I probably wanted to be a police officer. I ended up going into working with kids.”
Her introduction to manufacturing came after health challenges forced a career reassessment. “I had a bad shoulder. I couldn’t move my arm at all. I ended up having time off work and then I got into work experience and found this job.”
The placement revealed an unexpected passion. “I did a bit of work experience in an actual engineering shop and I was like, yeah, this is what I want to do. Once I did that, I was like, yeah, this is it. For so long I was trying to impress my grandparents. And then once I got into that industry and it was more hands-on, I enjoyed it more. It was a step I took for myself.”
The Satisfaction of Creation
Now in her seventh year with the same company where she completed her apprenticeship, Erika finds immense satisfaction in seeing tangible results from her work.
“Some of the stuff we make is so cool and just knowing the process and knowing how to do it. I can go out and see things and I’ll be like, oh, I could make that,” she says with pride. “It’s challenging, then you finish a product and it comes out nice. You feel like you accomplished something.”
She takes particular pride in her work: “We make a different type of hydraulic nut—it’s more complex and has cutouts. It was a lot of work, but I did it. This is the type of work I enjoy, because it’s satisfying when it’s finished.”
Overcoming Challenges
The technical aspects of manufacturing require ongoing learning, and Erika mentions that mathematics is incredibly useful, wishing she had paid more attention to it while at school.
But her greatest challenge was being the only woman and facing direct prejudice. “I’m the only tradeswoman I know,” she states. “There was one guy who really didn’t like that I was there. He called me corrupt and unnatural one day. I dealt with him for two and a half years and then he ended up leaving. When he left, it was like a big weight lifted off my shoulders.”
Despite this, Erika persevered with support from other colleagues. “The rest of the guys were so good and anything I needed, they helped with. I pretty much had to teach myself because he didn’t want to step up and teach me.”
Advice for the Next Generation
Erika offers straightforward advice to young women considering manufacturing: “Just go ahead and do it and do it sooner. Don’t wait till you’re a bit older. If you know that’s what you want to do, don’t try and please anyone else. Just go ahead and do it.”
She suggests more trade exposure in schools: “Days in high schools where you could do trade days where you have people come in from different trades. Just anything to get the exposure out there. Even the trade classes at my school, it was just building and construction. There was no metal work or anything like that.”
Through her work, Erika demonstrates how women can succeed in highly technical manufacturing roles—finding personal satisfaction, overcoming obstacles, and potentially paving the way for others to follow.