Hopes new Teesside TTE centre will attract women and girls into STEM
Middlesbrough College opened its new £12m facility yesterday
It is hoped a new £12 million Technical Training centre in Teesside will attract girls into STEM.
Research shows despite some progress, women remain underrepresented in those industries - particularly engineering.
TV Broadcaster Steph McGovern, who is from Middlesbrough, was awarded 'Young Engineer for Britain' at the age of 19 and she said: "I think every sector needs diversity and engineering having a mixed gender, ethnicity, everything else is really important because you've got to look like the people you're working for and that's all of us. Everyone looks and sounds different.
"Women bring such important skills just as much as men do. They bring different thoughts on things and all of that mixed together makes for a better workplace so you just want diversity in everything.
"I've just been chatting with the lasses who are doing the courses here and they're having just as much as the fun as the lads and do you know what? I know at times some industries can feel intimidating because you think 'oh, I might not fit in' and all of that. Give it a go.
"If you're into practical learning this is the place to be. If you want to problem solve, which is basically what engineering is, this is the place to do it. Work out if you like it by having a go and if you don't then do something else. These are all skills that you'll get that are transferable."
Lucy Whitworth is a TTE student at Middlesbrough College and she said: "I've been surrounded by engineering pretty much my whole life through a lot of my family. I've always found it interesting like finding solutions for problems and I thought engineering would be the best route for me and it has been.
"I think it's really important to have something like this in Teesside and the Middlesbrough area because you've got so much industry here, that we need to be educating people our age and younger generations to want to go into industry and want to work on all the amazing plants and stuff we've got around here.
"It was hard to start with being the only girl like I struggled with it quite a bit but then all the lads on my course is so lovely. They let me be one of the lads.
"I think it's really important to like encourage more women to get into industry because it's such a big thing around here. I personally love it but I know so many people who have never thought about it before, never thought they could go into it purely because it's viewed as such a male dominated job.
"Honestly just do it. It's the best thing I've ever done and no-one's going to judge you for it. All of the lads are lovely that you'll end up working with. It's one of the best things I've ever done."
The newly completed £12m TTE Centre at Middlesbrough College is a technical training facility designed to equip students with the skills needed for successful careers in engineering and process industries.
The centre features:
• Advanced engineering workshops – Equipped with state-of-the-art machinery, welding bays and fabrication equipment to simulate real-world industry environments.
• Specialist process control labs – Providing hands-on experience with the latest instrumentation and automation technologies.
• Electrical and mechanical training suites – Allowing students to develop essential skills in electrical engineering, maintenance and mechanical fitting.
• Virtual reality training areas – Offering immersive learning experiences to enhance safety training and operational efficiency.
By providing access to industry-standard equipment and hands-on learning experiences, the TTE Centre ensures students are job-ready and equipped with the skills in high demand by employers.
This investment reinforces Middlesbrough College’s commitment to developing the next generation of skilled professionals and supporting local and national industries.
Rayo Premium