Rita completed a mechanical engineering degree and started her manufacturing career with Toyota, becoming the first woman engineer on site at Toyota as a quality engineer. She then became a senior production engineer with an Australian medical device company. Now with Alstom, she’s primarily working on the manufacture of trains and trams.
"I love working with people, having the opportunity to learn new things every day, and feeling like my work is contributing to something important. That’s part of what drew me to manufacturing.
What is torque tightening? It’s a process defined by applying a torque to a bolt. It secures two or more components together. Torque tightening is very important to ensure passenger safety and a high quality manufactured product.
My role at Alstom allows me to take ownership and responsibility in every decision I make.
I’m passionate about supporting women to enter and advance in manufacturing. I enjoy being a mentor, educating women to take on manufacturing, take on engineering.
People say to me, what’s engineering about? It’s about problem-solving.
It’s not that hard, you just gotta get your hands dirty and give it a go. There are more opportunities for women than what we realise."
"It’s fun, it’s exciting. When I see a tram drive past and it says Made in Melbourne I make sure I let my family know, I built that."
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