Broadcaster returns home to launch scheme tackling gender gap in engineering
Steph McGovern has returned to Teesside to put her name – and her backing – behind a new scholarship designed to bring more women into engineering, a profession where they remain starkly underrepresented.
The Steph McGovern Women in Engineering Scholarship, powered by engineering skills charity Enginuity, will support every first-year, full-time female Engineering student at Teesside University, funded by a £44,000 investment. It is one of the most comprehensive schemes of its kind in the region.
Launched at an event in the University’s Digital Life Building, the initiative came with a personal surprise for its first cohort: the scholars learned on the day that McGovern herself will support them throughout their studies.
Before becoming one of Britain’s most recognisable broadcasters, the Middlesbrough-born journalist began her career as an engineer at Black & Decker, winning Young Engineer for Britain at just 19. She has since remained a vocal advocate for widening access to engineering careers and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Professional Achievement by Teesside University in 2013.
“I can’t tell you how delighted I am to help make this happen,” McGovern said.
“If we want to make the world a better place for everyone, we need more women involved in the designing, making and running of it and to me that means more female engineers.
“There are so many unnecessary barriers women have to overcome to get on the right path to a rewarding career, whether financial, prejudicial, ignorance or pure peer pressure – so anything that I can do to tear one or two of them down – brings me untold joy.”
Addressing a stubborn imbalance
The scholarship responds to a persistent national challenge. In 2025, women made up just 16.9 per cent of the UK engineering workforce, compared with 56 per cent across other occupations.
For Teesside University, the partnership with McGovern and Enginuity aligns closely with its mission to widen participation in STEM and unlock regional talent.
Professor Mark Simpson, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor Designate, said the scheme sent a clear signal about opportunity and ambition in the Tees Valley.
“Empowering students to thrive and embracing diversity are at the heart of Teesside University’s mission and values,” he said.
“We are delighted to partner with Steph and Enginuity to deliver this fantastic scholarship which will support greater diversity in engineering and ensure that more female students have the opportunities, encouragement and resources to succeed.
“This scholarship sends a powerful message about the talent we have in the Tees Valley and the importance of widening participation in STEM.”
Skills, investment and the future workforce
Ann Watson, CEO of Enginuity – and herself from Teesside – said the collaboration came at a critical moment for the region’s economy.
“Steph is a terrific role model and so tuned in to the barriers that women face entering our crucial sector – who better to be the face and voice of this initiative,” she said.
“There is massive investment in place for the region, to support advanced manufacturing, bio-tech and carbon capture – we need to help regenerate this industrial heartland by giving these projects the oxygen that skills provide.
“Industry is in desperate need of a flowing pipeline of skilled people and encouraging more women into the system is not just the right thing to do – but an absolute necessity.”
Reflecting on her own journey, Watson added: “As someone who grew up on Teesside and the first person in my family to go to university and that university being Teesside, I know first-hand the life-changing difference that these scholarships can make, opening up the world of higher education for these aspiring engineers.”
The programme will run throughout the academic year, offering financial support, mentoring opportunities and ongoing professional connection – with McGovern firmly in the corner of the next generation of Teesside engineers.
