INSPIRATION: Meet Senamiso a Zimbabwean certified Power System Control Engineer in UK

Senamiso Mathobela

A Zimbabwean woman, Senamiso Mathobela has become the first fully authorised female Power System Control Engineer in the Transmission Network Control Centre (TNCC) in the UK.

Semaniso is responsible for all operational activities of the electricity system in Northern England and Wales. This involves monitoring the system in real time and responding to emergency conditions, such as equipment failures, to avoid loss of power to millions of customers. 

She is also responsible for allocating work to a team of engineers, so they can deliver the day’s outage plan for equipment maintenance and replacement projects.

Senamiso joined National Grid in 2009 as an electrical engineer, coming from the National Control Centre in Zimbabwe. She recently undertook eight months of training – technical classroom-based sessions and a large number of sessions on the transmission simulator – to become fully qualified and authorised to work the TNCC.

Sena said: “I always wanted to be an engineer, as I was inspired by my best friend’s dad who worked at a power station. He would talk about his job and how much he enjoyed making a difference and keeping the lights on. I enjoyed physics and maths, so being an engineer was a natural choice when I got to university.”

Making the transition to the UK wasn’t easy for Sena, as National Grid’s system is much bigger than the one in her homeland; with many more procedures to know and follow. However, she has taken full advantage of the training available to build up her skills and knowledge.

“My biggest challenge to get qualified was the volume of information I had to know to do the CE role,” continues Sena. “Finding the time to read in order to work towards my authorisation, as well as keep up with

the normal job, was a big challenge because I also have a very busy family life with two young children.

“Working in a real-time environment to ensure the continuity and reliability of the electricity supply to millions of homes is very challenging but also very rewarding. 

At the end of the day I feel I have made a difference to the lives of so many people who depend on the availability of electricity for everyday activities. 

Electricity is taken for granted when it’s available, but its absence has a significant impact on everyone. I am proud to be part of the team that ‘keeps the lights on’.”

Source : Online