Award win for mentoring scheme supporting women into male-dominated STEM careers

A mentoring scheme for women in male-dominated STEM fields created by UWE Bristol academics has been named Outstanding Programme of the Year at the inaugural Bristol Women in Business Awards 2026.

Women Like Me, which supports the recruitment and retention of female engineers and construction professionals through mentoring, role modelling and outreach activities, was praised by the judges for the “measurable success in supporting women through their career journeys and the significant ‘ripple effect’ this programme has had across the regional STEM sector”.

Established in 2018 by Dr Laura Fogg Rogers, Associate Professor for Engineering in Society, and Dr Laura Hobbs, Senior Research Fellow in Science Communication, with funding from the Royal Academy of Engineering, the programme has now supported over 400 women.

Since its launch, Women Like Me has grown to include women working in a wider range of male-dominated STEM fields, bringing together industry partners and community organisations, with programme delivery and partnerships led by research associate Sarah Behenna.

In 2024, the team behind Women Like Me also extended their tiered mentoring scheme into degree apprenticeships and saw a 60% increase in female applicants to engineering, construction and digital apprenticeships in one year.

The judges commended Women Like Me for training mentees to deliver school outreach, successfully engaging diverse female mentors and prioritising supporting children from low-income or low-science-capital backgrounds, “creating a sustainable pipeline of visible role models for thousands of young girls”.

Women Like Me has received support from the Royal Academy of Engineering, Digital Engineering Technology & Innovation (DETI) and SUEZ, whose sponsorship has enabled the programme to work closely with local FE colleges, employers, and community partners specialising in equality, diversity and inclusion within the STEM sector. This has contributed to efforts across the region to address skills shortages while building a more inclusive STEM workforce.

Support from the Office for Students has also allowed Women Like Me to collaborate with UWE Bristol’s Centre for Apprenticeships, helping expand the programme to diversify degree apprenticeships.

Hosted by the Women in Business Charter, the Bristol Women in Business Awards brought together more than 200 business leaders, entrepreneurs, charities and community groups to celebrate the individuals and organisations driving real progress on gender equity across Bristol’s workplaces.

Dr Laura Fogg Rogers said: “Women Like Me has been a real team effort over the years, bringing together expertise in science communication, diverse recruitment, and inclusive workplace practices for retention of women in STEM. We have built a real community of support across the West of England, where alumni networking and peer mentoring are just as important as our annual mentoring programmes.

“We are delighted to receive this recognition form the Women in Business Awards. We supported the launch of the Charter in 2019, so it is fantastic to receive this award, highlighting the success of our programme for women across the West of England.”