Mon, 13 December, 2021
Indonesia-based Alfina graduated in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering from Universitas Indonesia, attaining Cum Laude: 3.62/4.00. While studying, Alfina gained a position as a corrosion laboratory assistant and her keen interest in corrosion control was born.
After university, Alfina, began her career as a quality inspector at PT Meindo Elang Indah, one of the leading engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) contractors in Indonesia. Whilst with the company, Alfina was assigned two major projects, the SAKA West Pangkah Field development and the Jangkrik Complex project: ENI 2nd Tie in Lean Gas. It was Alfina’s colleagues here that introduced her to the South East Asia Skills Enhancement Programme (SEASEP) and supported her to join it. SEASEP is an international vocational training initiative to upskill people in South and East Asia countries, with a specific focus on improving safety standards in the work environment and tackling in-country skills shortages, delivered by partners TWI Ltd and Lloyd’s Register Foundation (LRF).
As an awardee of the SEASEP, Alfina was able to participate in the course and ultimately gain a BGAS Painting Inspector Grade 2 certification. “I was really grateful to become one of the awardees, and I would like to thank TWI and Lloyd’s for this opportunity because we, as women, are hardly ever given the chance to take part in this field” said Alfina, adding “Thank you also for creating a more inclusive world through a programme which brings engineering-related skills and education to disadvantaged and under-represented groups.”
Putting her certification to good use, Alfina is now a Painting Inspector for Gunanusa Utama Fabricators (Zawtika Development Project operated by PTTEPI). Her role includes ensuring all blasting and painting activities are carried out as per the specification, quality control for all blasting and painting work, procedures and standards, and the creation of relevant procedures as required by the client.
In looking forward at her career, Alfina believes that gaining a BGAS-CSWIP certification has provided her with valuable skills that she can build on, added additional weight to her current résumé and enabled her to take a more informed approach to her professional development. In addition, achieving her certification also benefited her employer in that “It has increased [her] knowledge of coatings, paints and general protection against corrosion, and given [her] the authority to inspect and supervise coating and painting of the equipment we have at our company plant, the Pertamina Refinery Unit VI Balongan.”
Alfina urges anyone whose “aim is to acquire a deeper knowledge of painting inspection” to undertake the BGAS Painting Inspector certification, as it helps in making sure you make the “right decision while doing painting inspections”. Furthermore, according to Alfina, the BGAS Painting Inspector Certification is becoming “more popular and recognised by most industries and companies in Indonesia and abroad”.
Achieving her BGAS-CSWIP certification, was not only a personal milestone for Alfina, and one that enhanced her “professional and technical skills in the painting inspection field”, but also contributed to another one of her personal goals – inspiring the next generation of female engineers. As a woman working in engineering, it is important to Alfina that she show that, not only are women just as capable as men, but that they too can play a role in building the future. Having been born in a small village in Tegal to a less-privileged family with limited experience of higher education, where growing up in a neighbourhood that saw girls becoming engineers as “taboo”, Alfina was determined to become a role model for girls growing up in the same situation as she did. Through her own achievements, Alfina hopes to encourage other girls to pursue higher education and demonstrate that it is possible for women to stand on their own two feet, and be just as competent, as the men around them.
We wish Alfina the very best of luck in her career, this amazing journey she has only just begun, and look forward to hearing from all the women her experience and words have inspired to enter into the field of engineering.
If you are interested in gaining a BGAS-CSWIP certificate more information can be found on our dedicate webpage. More information about CSWIP’s involvement in the SEASAP scheme can be found here.