Former Burnley Women’s FC player swaps football pitch for career in engineering
A former Burnley Women’s FC player has swapped the football pitch for a career in engineering – proving that women can thrive in fields where they’re still underrepresented.
Jessica Rawstron earned a football scholarship in the USA while studying civil engineering before returning to the UK to train as a Smart Energy engineer with British Gas.
Inspired by her father, who has worked in gas engineering for years, she’s now helping households transition to smarter, greener home energy solutions.
Jessica’s journey comes at a crucial time, with British Gas set to create over 400 new apprenticeship roles in 2025 as part of the UK’s push towards net zero.
Jessica, who was speaking as part of International Women’s Day, is passionate about encouraging more women to consider careers in engineering and wants to show that hands-on, skilled roles in green energy are open to everyone.