May 6, 2021
The Royal Academy of Engineering and Amazon have launched a new Amazon Future Engineer bursary scheme in the UK to support women from low-income households wanting to study computer science and related engineering courses at UK universities.
Twelve awards, worth £5,000 a year for up to four years, are available now to students progressing from A level or technical education courses to university for the next academic year (2021/22).
The new bursaries can be used to cover expenses related to attending university, including tuition fees or accommodation and living costs. It will help to support students who demonstrate a drive and passion for computing and engineering, and an understanding of how innovation and creativity in these fields can help solve some of the world’s greatest challenges.
Addressing the gender gap
Women are still significantly underrepresented in engineering and technology in higher education. UCAS data on university application and acceptance figures for the 2020 cycle highlighted that women represent just 16% and 18% of accepted applications to computing and engineering degrees respectively. At the current rate of progress, parity of women in engineering degrees will not be achieved until 2085.
Amazon Future Engineer bursaries are open to students enrolling onto courses such as electrical and electronic engineering, computer science, artificial intelligence and software engineering in the UK. The bursaries will focus on areas of the UK that have been identified as social mobility cold spots—places in the country where opportunities and outcomes for young people need improving.
More than money
Awardees will be invited to attend annual networking and training weekends and will have access to a community forum providing support from the Royal Academy of Engineering and Amazon. They will also receive news of available internships, as well as mentoring and funding to help them progress from university into engineering and computing careers.
The new bursary is an expansion of the Amazon Future Engineer bursary scheme, which is part of Amazon Future Engineer, Amazon’s comprehensive childhood-to-career programme to inspire, educate and enable children and young adults from lower-income backgrounds to try computer science and related engineering courses.
Applications for the Amazon Future Engineer bursary are open now and close on on Monday 14 June 2021. Apply or find out more
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