In ‘an inspiring curtain-raiser’ to ‘Tomorrow’s Engineers’ week last November, the Arkwright Scholarships Trust made its largest ever award of Scholarships to youngsters that it hoped would be ‘future leaders in the engineering profession’.
In all, 410 sixth-form Scholarships were awarded at ceremonies in London and Glasgow supported by the Institution of Engineering and Technology and the Lloyd’s Register Foundation – to Scholars from all educational backgrounds from across England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and the Channel Islands.
The Trust explained: “These Scholarships ‘act as a beacon’ to the most talented younger STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) students inspired by Tomorrow’s Engineers week and other outreach activities, and help ensure that high-potential young people stay engaged in the STEM careers pipeline.”
Dr Martin Thomas, the Trust’s CEO, said: “Tomorrow’s Engineers week highlights that the UK’s economic prosperity requires hundreds of thousands of new engineers and technical designers over the next few years.
“But we must recognise that numbers, alone will not ensure our country’s future economic success. We also need some of these new engineers and designers to be modern-day Sir Richard Arkwrights or James Dysons – outstanding technical leaders able to guide their country to engineering success.”
Scholars are selected via assessment of their academic, practical, and leadership skills in STEM via ‘a rigorous selection process’ comprising an assessed application form; a two-hour aptitude exam, and a university-based interview. The Scholarships support STEM students through their sixth form studies, and ‘encourage them into top universities or higher apprenticeships’.
