Refrigeration Engineering Technician
Millie is a Refrigeration Engineer for SURE Solutions
I keep huge refrigeration systems running – the kind used in big factories and warehouses, not like the one in your kitchen.
I maintain systems, find hidden problems, solve technical issues and rush in to fix major breakdowns when things go wrong.
What I do makes sure things that need to be cooled, stay cool and safe – whether that’s food for supermarkets, vaccines for hospitals or keeping ice rinks cool.
I keep huge refrigeration systems running for warehouses and factories. Keeping things cool and fresh also reduces waste and makes sure people get the food and medicines they need.
I love that I’m making a difference. In my old job at the travel agent’s, I was booking holidays, which was nice, but I didn’t always feel like my work mattered.
Now, when I fix a fault, I’m stopping waste and helping keep supply chains going, so shops can still get stock.
I also really enjoy passing knowledge on. We’re short of engineers in this industry, so teaching and supporting apprentices is important. I still use tips I was taught years ago, so it feels good knowing I’m helping someone who might use that knowledge throughout their career.
I like being visible as well, and encouraging more women to work in this industry. When I’ve done school visits, some students have said they didn’t even know you could do this as a girl – helping young people discover their options is brilliant.
Attention to detail is number one. I work with high-pressure and toxic gasses, which could be dangerous if handled in the wrong way, so I can’t afford to make mistakes or miss clues.
I also need resilience, because sometimes I hit what I think is the end of my knowledge, but I still have to keep thinking, keep testing, keep finding information instead of giving up.
Staying calm under pressure is huge too. When a system goes down, I might be the only person on site with the knowledge to fix things, so I must stay level-headed and focused to succeed.
Honestly, being an engineer is not just about being good with your hands. I’ve learnt that practical skills will come with practice and time – what really matters is being interested, wanting to learn and being able to handle stressful situations.
When you’re in a team tackling a tough issue, you can all struggle together. If a site has a big problem, having more engineers around means we can all bounce ideas off each other.
Sometimes everyone feels stuck, then someone has an idea and suddenly you’re moving again. Also, you have a laugh along the way, which really helps on tough days.
My favourite tool is a breaker bar. It’s basically a long metal bar that gives me leverage (extra turning power) on bolts. I wouldn’t call myself super strong, so learning about leverage was key – without it, I wouldn’t be able to undo or tighten things to the right point.
It sounds basic, but it gets me past the first hurdle. I also love a crowbar for shifting big pipes when they won’t budge.
I like walking in the summer, seeing my friends and playing sports like badminton. I’ve also got into padel, which I like because the ball can’t fly off anywhere since you’re in a cage.
I recently bought my own house, so I’m doing DIY too. I don’t always enjoy the ‘doing’ part, but I love the end result, because I’ll see it every day and I want it to be perfect.
When I was younger, I wasn’t the best student. My main focus was my friends and having fun, and I played netball on the side. Some teachers would probably have said I’d go and do nothing, but I always knew in my head I wasn’t going to end up like that.
Looking back, I did have influences that make sense now. My dad is from the fix-it-yourself generation, so I spent loads of time watching him paint, repair things and mess about with cars. At the time I thought, ‘whatever’, but now I can see how it shaped me.
Getting to the point where I can do the jobs I used to watch other engineers do. As an apprentice, I’d look at people and think, “How did you even know that? I’m never going to do able to do that”. Then one day, you realise you can.
The biggest wow moments are on the really big industrial ammonia sites. The machinery can be way bigger than me, but I can work my way around it safely, and it feels amazing being trusted to handle that.
A lot of people think I work on fridges like we have at home, but some sites are so big the compressors are the size of a small car!
The compressors in your fridge at home are roughly the size of a kettle so there is quite a difference!
I want to keep progressing and learning, and to be recognised as a skilled engineer in the industry. I also want to expand my knowledge on using natural refrigerants, which means handling more climate-friendly gases, like ammonia and carbon dioxide, instead of things like HFCs (hydrofluorocarbons) which are harmful to the environment.
Also, I want to carry on encouraging more girls to join the trade. There are more of us every year, which is great!
Stick to your guns. There are always options. Even if you start in something you’re not sure about, it can get the ball rolling, and you can move on from there.
Take opportunities when they come up – don’t turn them down just because you don’t know everything yet.
Discover what qualifications you’ll need, how much you can earn, and what the next steps are.
