BBC's Steph McGovern champions UK manufacturing at MACH

Steph is a passionate supporter of apprenticeships as a way into industry, and addressing the skills shortage in manufacturing is a subject dear to her heart.

"Manufacturing is an industry I'm very proud of, because it's where I started out my career," Steph said at MACH between her live BBC slots. "Many years ago, I was a trainee engineer for a manufacturer up in the north-east. For me, that was such an amazing start to my career. It's given me credibility, it's given me experience, and it's given me skills that make me stand out from other people.

"We need to talk about and showcase manufacturing more, because it's a really exciting industry. It can be a way to open the door to lots of jobs, and to travel the world, and to work at the cutting-edge of technology."

However, Steph believes the UK has the wrong attitude to apprenticeships, particularly in the perception that a young person choosing to take the apprentice route has in some way achieved less than someone going into further education.