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The 11th February 2026 marks International Day of Women and Girls in Science. This UN-backed awareness day is part of a global initiative to close the gender gap that is present throughout science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) professions and disciplines throughout the world.
In the health and environmental safety industry, it’s no secret that women fulfilling technical roles in the asbestos space are in the minority. At Environtec, we’re proud to say that we’re taking important steps to support the career progression of our female staff pursuing STEM-based careers in the asbestos industry.
In this article, we meet Holly J, Deputy Lab Manager at Environtec who is training to become an asbestos surveyor. We sat down with Holly this week to discover the qualifications she’s gained to achieve her goals, and why she thinks STEM-based industries can do even more to promote gender diversity.
Having worked as a lab technician conducting bulk analysis for the past 5 years at Environtec, a science-based career has been Holly’s background for a number of years. To become a lab technician, Holly needed the BOHS P401 qualification which Environtec were happy to support.
When the role of Deputy Lab Manager at Head Office became available in 2022, Holly grabbed the opportunity with both hands. As one of the most experienced lab technicians, Holly landed the role.
It’s clear Holly enjoys the challenge of learning and growing in a science-based career as in the past year she’s embarked on a new challenge: training to be an asbestos surveyor. On course to qualify after a part-time, 10-month training programme, Holly splits her current lab tech role with surveying and site experience.
Holly said: “I showed initial interest in becoming part of the site team last year which Environtec were very supportive of. I’ve now passed the RSPH Level 3 Certificate in Asbestos Surveying – I’ve just found this out today, which is great news! Alongside this, I’ll spend 6 months on site training with experienced surveyors.”
“I wanted to make this move as I enjoy new challenges. I felt I had done everything I could in the lab. I also liked the idea of getting out of the office. What’s more, there are additional perks of being a surveyor, such as increased salary potential and a company vehicle.”
Taking on the rigorous technical training needed to qualify as an asbestos surveyor alongside Holly’s current role has been no small feat. And with few female asbestos surveyors working in the industry generally, this change of career could have felt risky.
Holly said: “As a Bulk Analyst, there’s a reasonable split between men and women employed in the role. But there’s not that many women that are asbestos surveyors, so this move has felt daunting in at times.”
“The prospect of entering a world heavily dominated by men can be intimidating. But my colleagues at Environtec have been very welcoming and supportive of me, so it doesn’t feel like an issue.”
What does Holly think needs to change to see more women working in science, tech, engineering and maths-based professions?
“I honestly think representation is a massive thing. It’s difficult to picture yourself being something if you don’t see yourself represented. Plenty of young women don’t see themselves in these sorts of professions, and so they don’t know they can go for it. I think more can be done to promote diversity within companies. It’s one thing to be accepting, but another to be actively promoting the change you want to see.”
Environtec’s Managing Director, Paul Shaw said: “Huge congratulations to Holly for successfully completing the RSPH Level 3 Certificate! Holly’s journey highlights the importance of empowering women to pursue careers where they remain underrepresented, such as asbestos surveying. At Environtec, we’re proud to support Holly and other female staff looking to pursue STEM careers within the company. We’ll continue our efforts to champion diversity, and to foster talent to build a more inclusive future for our business and sector.”
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Environtec Ltd is a UKAS accredited testing laboratory (No. 0197) and inspection body (No. 2030).
Environtec is only UKAS accredited for Asbestos Inspection and Testing (excluding Soil Testing & Analysis)
