Steph on Skills powered by Enginuity

Steph interviews Dame Ruth Cairnie DBE, Chair of Babcock International Group, patron of the Women in Defence Charter, member of the CBI Board and venture capital investor with a distinguished international career in the engineering sector. Dame Ruth talks about Babcock’s role as an international defence contractor and major UK employer, contributing an estimated £4.3bn to the UK economy, and share...

A recent report from SQW, a leading UK-based consultancy specialising in economic and social research, which was commissioned by Enginuity, estimates the skills gap is costing the sector about £5.2bn each year.  Steph is joined by Cathryn Moses-Stone, Senior Policy and Public Affairs for Enginuity, and entrepreneur and former SME managing director James Greenham, to discuss this new research...

Steph is joined by Phil Smith CBE, Chair of Skills England, and Ann Watson, CEO of Enginuity, to discuss Skills England’s recently published Annual Skills Report which sets out the key challenges facing England’s skills system and actions for how they can be addressed. They also chat about the industrial strategy’s growth sectors, potential opportunities over the next 5–10 years, pathways for movi...

Steph chats with Kathryn Marshall, Senior Apprenticeship and T Level Manager at Lloyds Banking Group, to challenge the misconception that apprenticeships are mainly for engineering and manufacturing.  With Lloyds Banking Group employing over 1,300 apprentices across more than 30 disciplines, Kathryn explains the breadth of roles on offer such as audit, digital, data, software engineering and...

Steph meets Laura McBrown, Managing Director of G&B, an electronic manufacturing service provider, who has been running the family business with her sister, Kate, for the past 11 years.  Laura explains how she got into the industry entirely by accident but loved the creativity and diverse range of roles so much that it inspired her to study electrical engineering. She shares the story beh...

In this episode, Steph is finding out about the thriving engineering and manufacturing sector in Cornwall.   First up, she meets Eric Nicholls, Chair of the Cornwall Manufacturing Group, whose members employ about 4,000 people with a combined turnover of roughly £600m.    He explains how the area’s mining heritage provided roots for what is now a diverse offering of manufactured pro...

With the Enginuity Skills Awards coming up on the 1st July, Steph sits down with the Event Lead, Ben Hope, to find out what goes into planning this highly prestigious evening which celebrates careers and talent across the engineering and manufacturing sector.  Now in its 12th year and with a record number of nominations, Ben tells us about the range of talents and categories which a...

Recorded at the Make UK Conference at the QEII Centre in London, Steph is joined by Robert Halfon, the former MP, Skills Minister and Education Select Committee chair, who is currently Executive Director for Policy Membership and External Affairs at Make UK, and Marisa Kurimbokusto, a Chartered Engineer who was awarded ‘Young Woman Engineer of the Year’ in 2024. Robert's extensive w...

Recorded at Make UK’s National Manufacturing Conference at the QEII Centre in London, Steph welcomes Make UK CEO Stephen Phipson and Enginuity CEO and Make UK Board Member, Ann Watson, on to the podcast to discuss the UK manufacturing skills crisis and solutions.     Stephen has spent 35 years as a leading industrial figure and has worked directly for government in a number of appoi...

Steph is at Teeside University to welcome sport broadcaster and Deputy Lieutenant of Northumberland, Jeff Brown, where he takes the opportunity to turn the tables and quiz Steph on her love of all things engineering and how proud she is to have an Enginuity scholarship for women in engineering in her name.    The pair reminisce about the first time they met, which happened to be at Wimbl...

In this episode, Steph is back at Teesside University to meet Jorja Karmen, a bright, young Chemical Engineering student and beneficiary of an Enginuity scholarship.    Jorja tells us about her less conventional route into chemical engineering, including how attending a nuclear and radiochemistry summer school in Leeds introduced her to the topic and how she juggled taking an extra cours...

In this special episode for National Apprenticeship Week, Steph interviews Chris McDonald, Minister for Industry in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, and the Department for Business and Trade.  The comprehensive discussion takes a look at the current UK apprenticeship ecosystem, its strengths and weaknesses and how to address the challenges which are hampering the supply chain...

In this episode Steph meets Harry Young-Jamieson, the Managing Director of St Eval Candles, and one of the firm’s young apprentices, Cameron.    Based on a farm in a North Cornwall village the family run business employs 70 staff, including three apprentices – making them a significant employer in the area. Harry shares the history and evolution of the family business from its humble ori...

In this episode, Steph meets three recipients of the brand-new ‘Steph McGovern Women in Engineering Scholarship, powered by Enginuity’.   Abigail, Munachi and Katie are all students at Teeside University and share their individual journeys into engineering, revealing what sparked their passion for the subject, who have been their role models, and their aspirations within their specific branch...

In this episode, Steph is joined by Lee Higgins, a data expert from Enginiuity, to delve into the latest statistics on vocational education, specifically focusing on apprenticeships in the engineering and manufacturing sectors.    Lee shares the current state of apprenticeship starts, regional growth patterns, and the lasting impact from Covid-19.    Steph and Lee highlight the...

In this episode, Steph sits down with Nicola Dolan, Head of Charity Operations at Enginuity, to find out about their exciting new initiative – the Policy Centre.   The virtual hub aims to unify and amplify the voices of the 325,000 SMEs in the engineering and manufacturing sector, ensuring the collective body get their say in the UK policy debate.    Nicola explains the importance o...

In this unique holiday episode of 'Steph on Skills, powered by Enginuity,' Steph is joined by none other than Santa himself, to discuss the role STEM plays in engaging and inspiring the next generation of engineers.   Santa shares his insights on the most requested and innovative toys, and why he believes kindness and hard work make can set people up for an exciting future.   Steph and S...

In this episode, Steph speaks with multi-award winner, Richard Brigman OBE, Founder of Warren Services , and his son Will, Managing Director of the family-run business.  The father-son duo, based in Norfolk, talk about the evolution and impact of apprenticeships in the engineering sector.  They discuss the history of their SME contract manufacturing business and their dedication to train...

In this episode of Steph on Skills powered by Enginuity , Steph meets Paul and Hannah Linden, a father-daughter duo working together for the Red Bull Formula One Team.  With over two decades of experience in engineering, Paul manages the development of the 2026 race engine – or power train – making him the man who could make or break the team’s success next season.  Having recently compl...

In this episode Steph talks with Andrea Wilson, Managing Director of Hone All.  Andrea sits on numerous committees and industry bodies and is a passionate campaigner, desperate to reshape the manufacturing industry so it flourishes.  In this conversation she shares insights into the challenges and triumphs of running a specialist subcontract machining company, speaks honestly about the s...

In this episode of  Steph on Skills , Steph returns to Harland & Wolff – the iconic Belfast shipyard – to chat with a dynamic group of apprentices carving out careers in welding and steelwork. The group includes people from vastly different backgrounds, ages, and life stages, each sharing their inspiring journey into engineering. From rediscovering passions in their 30s to juggling parent...

In this episode of Steph on Skills powered by Enginuity, host Steph McGovern is joined by Kat Thorne, Head of Talent and Culture, and Brian Welsh, also known as Mr. Apprentice, from Harland & Wolff in Belfast.  Broadcasting from the iconic Titanic Room, the discussion delves into the rich history of the shipyard, its cultural significance, and the community spirit that defines the workpla...

Steph on Skills landed the interview that everyone was clamouring to secure. Minister for Skills, Baroness Jacqui Smith, unveils the Government’s new plan to rejuvenate skills provision and her desire to put some ‘oomph’ into her colleagues at Westminster. Steph and the Minister, in a no holes barred 45-minute conversation, talk of their passion re-educate the media and politicians, on the importa...

In the first of three special episodes recorded on site in the Titanic Room at the historic shipbuilding firm, Harland and Wolff, in Belfast, host Steph McGovern is joined by guests Elita Frid and Susan Hayes Culleton to talk about their collaborative project, Engineering Across the Border and how it is tackling the skills crisis across Ireland.    As Education and Industry Engagement Ma...

In this episode, Steph McGovern is joined by special guests and young learners to unveil ‘Vocational Celebration Day’ created and driven by Enginuity and EAL – the first of which will be held on August 6th 2026.   Newcastle College's Assistant Principal Catherine Orridge shares how the college is working to fulfil its goal to ‘unlock potential’ for anyone who wants to engage in their div...