At 1.5 metre, Fanny Wong Yim-fan's petite stature belies her daring and adventurousness. She is the only female maintenance technician of Ngong Ping 360. A love of thrill and a strong character motivate Ms. Wong to strive for the best. Vowing not to fall short of her male counterparts, she will pursue her dream as a professional engineer.

As an Ngong Ping 360's maintenance technician, Ms. Wong's main duties include inspecting the backup electricity system inside the cable cars every day. "My team is responsible for maintaining the backup electricity system of the cable car, including backup power and public announcement system. The latter is very important. In case of any occasional service suspensions that occur due to range of factors, a stable public announcements system can keep guests informed of the sudden situation so as to reinforce their sense of security," Ms. Wong said.

What's more exciting? Ms. Wong needs to climb the towers that linked the cables to conduct inspections and maintenance. “I don't fear height. In fact, the higher the better,” said Ms. Wong. However, the first time was still a bit unnerving. “I was quite scared when I climbed the tower for the first time. It was really windy up there. But once I climbed to the top, the beautiful scenery made me feel more relaxed. I felt like I was immerged in the nature.”

Even though climbing towers has proven to be the most challenging part of her job, Ms. Wong is eager to prove herself. “It is a fact that women are not as physically strong as men, so I have to train up myself, I volunteer to do all sorts of inspections and hope to equip myself with more experience” said Ms. Wong. Being the only female in the 80-people auxiliary department at Ngong Ping 360, Ms. Wong said it out loud with confidence, “If they can do it, of course I can do it!”

Her motivation stems from her passion for engineering since childhood. Unlike other little girls who play with dolls, Ms. Wong preferred cars and robots as a child. After obtaining a Higher Diploma of Electrical Engineering at IVE in 2011, Ms. Wong was lucky to encounter a great career opportunity at Ngong Ping 360 a year later.

“Fanny started out as a technician assistant, and we were pleasantly surprised that a female candidate was interested in this position. Her character, attitude, presentation and communication skills made a great fit for the job.” said Kathy Yuen, Head of Human Resources & Corporate Services of Ngong Ping 360.

To absorb new blood, Ngong Ping 360 has also opened up another door to IVE fresh graduates. Established in 2009, the trainee scheme recruits two to three IVE students per year. “During the two-year programme, trainees have the opportunities to rotate through different teams within the cable car operation department,” said Ms. Yuen. Job duties include inspecting and maintaining electrical systems such as surveillance cameras, and other fixtures like car seats and doors. Upon programme completion, trainees will be offered the position of technician, which is only open to outside applicants who have at least five years of experience.

The company is dedicated to promoting lifelong learning among its staff. Despite the busy schedule, it has set up a monthly training day for its technicians and engineers. The company also encourages its staff to pursue further studies. “We started a staff progression scheme last year. If an employee has surpassed our targets in skill improvement, further education and obtaining new licenses, the company will offer a salary adjustment,” said Ms. Yuen.

As a potential female engineer, Ms. Wong concluded her motivating story to young fellows who are interested in starting their engineering career in cable cars, “You have to be willing to endure hardship. If you really want to do it, just go ahead! Make no regret to yourself."