Investment boost for engineering talent

The Diamond Jubilee Scholarship programme, now in its second year, will provide 69 students who started either a Masters or an Undergraduate engineering degree at a UK-based university in the autumn of 2014 with at least £1,000 per academic year.

The scholarship winners will also benefit from mentoring and work experience placements through the IET’s networks.

The number of women in the engineering work force is appallingly low

IET president William Webb

Of the 69 candidates chosen, 42% are female – a vast improvement on last year’s figures (19%), the IET said.

These figures are in stark contrast to statistics taken the IET 2014 Skills and Demand in Industry Survey which suggests that just 6% of the UK’s engineering workforce is female.

IET president William Webb said: “The number of women in the engineering work force is appallingly low, so we are really pleased that so many young women are making use of the financial help that is available via our scholarships.

“However, it’s not just women we need – it has been estimated that approximately 87,000 new engineers will be needed each year until 2020 to address the current skills shortage. It has never been more important to encourage young people to study engineering so that they are able to follow rewarding careers and, ultimately, protect the UK’s economic prosperity.”

Today’s announcement follows an initial investment of £2 million made by the IET last year.

The Diamond Jubilee Scholarship programme is open to all UK students hoping to achieve 3 ‘A’s at A-Level, 3 ‘A’ grade Advanced Highers, 5 ‘A’ grade Highers or an International Baccalaureate Diploma at 36 points or above and who are applying to join an IET accredited engineering or technology degree course, the IET said.

Stephanie Morton, entry level talent lead at Siemens, said: “We are so pleased to be part of this investment – it’s crucial to encourage young people to think about engineering and we really hope that these scholarships will help.”

Prospective students wishing to apply for a Diamond Jubilee Scholarship can do so here.