Engineering Starts with People: Getting to Know Inge van Jaarsveld

Inge van Jaarsveld's journey at AIDC-EC began as an intern in February 2024 and has since grown into a career as a Process Engineer in September 2025. Through the organisation, she has gained valuable hands-on industry experience, worked alongside seasoned professionals, and had the opportunity to grow her skills while supporting companies to improve their processes. While her work involves processes, data, and finding ways to improve efficiency, Inge's approach to engineering is refreshingly human - she believes the best solutions start by listening to the people who do the work every day.

Getting to know the woman behind the Industrial engineer - her journey, her perspective, and the lessons she has picked up along the way.

5 Facts to Know about Inge:

Her Role: Process Engineer at AIDC-EC

When people ask what I do as a Process Engineer, I usually get a slightly puzzled look. If I say I improve processes, people imagine stopwatches and production lines. If I mention data, the conversation tends to end there. The reality is that my job is not really about machines it is about people. Every machine is operated by someone. Every process affects someone. Every improvement should make someone's day just a little easier.

Her Philosophy: Go and see before you solve

One of the first lessons I learned through Kaizen, a continuous improvement course, was surprisingly simple: go and see. Do not assume you know the problem from behind a desk. Go to where the work happens. Observe the process. Talk to the people doing the job every day. Listen before you suggest a solution.

What drives her engineering mindset: Asking "Why?" until the real problem is found

As Engineers, we are often known for asking, "Why?" a few too many times. It is not because we are trying to be difficult but it is because somewhere beneath that fifth "why" is usually the real problem waiting to be solved.

To me, engineering is about finding the balance between people, processes and technology. You can have the latest equipment or the most beautifully designed process, but if it does not work for the people using it, then there's still work to be done. The best solutions are the ones that bring all three together.

What She Values: People, collaboration and different perspectives

I value working with people; that is what I enjoy most about working at AIDC-EC. Every project is different because every company is different. We work with people from all walks of life, each bringing years of experience and insights that you simply cannot learn from a textbook. Some of the best ideas I have heard have not come from the engineer in the room but have come from the operator who's been doing the job every day.

People sometimes ask what is it like being a woman in engineering. The honest answer is that I have been fortunate to work with colleagues who value ideas, teamwork and a willingness to learn. That is exactly how it should be. Engineering has shown me that great solutions come from collaboration, curiosity and different perspectives not from one particular gender.

Her Message to Young Women: Stay curious, ask questions and believe in yourself.

Women's Day is a chance to celebrate the women who have contributed to our profession and to encourage the next generation to see engineering as a place where they belong. If my journey can inspire even one young girl to ask questions, stay curious and believe in her abilities, then that is something worth celebrating.

At the end of the day, my favourite part of engineering is not the spreadsheets or the process maps.

It is walking onto a factory floor and seeing people, processes and technology working together. Because that is when improvement is not just something we have designed on paper, but it is something that genuinely makes a difference.