An engineer from Chadderton who said she enjoys opportunities her mother was once snubbed from is being celebrated as a leader in her field for the next generation of women.

It's International Women's Day (IWD) today (March 8) and the borough is far from scarce on stories of inspirational women.

Pam Vale is one such woman who is being celebrated by her company for empowering women in engineering - arguably a typical male-dominated industry.

Get the latest news delivered straight to your inbox by signing up to The Oldham Times’ morning and evening newsletters as well as our breaking news alerts 

However, in line with this year's IWD theme of 'invest in women: accelerate progress', Oldham-based engineering company, Ferranti Tapchangers said Pam fits the bill having climbed through the ranks of the company since she joined as an administrative assistant in 2018.

After more than 30 years of juggling jobs, family and a passion for acting, Pam progressed from managing service kits used by the company's field engineers to working directly on a wide range of machinery, including big pieces of engineering which are considered the backbone of Britain's electricity system.

Reflecting on her journey, Pam, from Chadderton, said: "When I was a child, I would pull apart anything in the house to see how it was wired.

"But in school back then, there were boys’ careers and girls’ careers, so I never had the chance to take my interest further.

"Thankfully a lot has changed today. If I had my time again now, I would definitely go for an engineering apprenticeship and probably specialise in electronics, where a lot of exciting things are happening.

"I have left it a bit late for that, but my advice for any young woman with an interest in any form of engineering is to go for it when you can."

The woman said her mum even worked in the company from the age of 15, assembling electricity meters.

She continued: "I feel I am completing a circle – but with opportunities to get involved in engineering, which she never had.

"I have found a job I love, at last – and I hope to retire from here one day.

“Ferranti is the best company I have ever worked for."

If you have a story, I cover all things Oldham from food reviews and local business news to music and events, pubs, education, crime, property, health, community concerns and much more. Please email me at Olivia.bridge@newsquest.co.uk or send me a message on Twitter @Livbridge with your news.