Record number of students to attend UKESF Summer School

7th July 2014

UKESF

Siobhan O'Gorman

0 0

A record number of students will attend the fourth annual UK Electronics Skills Foundation (UKESF) Summer School, which will address the decline in applications for electrical and electronic engineering (EEE) degrees from British students. Although UCAS data shows that there has been a rise in demand for engineering and technology courses since 2002, there has been a 26% drop in British applicants to EEE courses between 2002 and 2013. 80 A-level and Scottish Higher students from 77 schools across the UK will, however, participate in the UKESF Summer School this year, twice as many as the inaugural course in 2011.

In partnership with EDT Headstart, the UKESF Summer School will encourage school students to consider degrees and careers in electronics.The five-day course will consist of practical lab work and lectures from academics from UKESF university partners, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Imperial, Manchester, Nottingham, and York as well as the host university. There will also be field trips to course sponsors Thales and the Science & Technology Facilities Council; offering students the opportunity to gain practical insights into the lives of working electronic engineers across a range of disciplines including aerospace, defence, security, transport, particle physics and space technology.

UKESF also offers a scholarship scheme linking university students with employers for sponsorship and work experience. The course will be supported by UKESF scholarship students currently studying at the University of Southampton, and will feature presentations from previous UKESF scholarship students who will talk about their experience of working in the industry.

“The UK electronics systems industry is estimated to contribute £78bn to the economy with the potential to grow and generate 150,000 new and highly-skilled jobs by 2020.” said Indro Mukerjee, Chairman, UKESF Strategic Advisory Board, adding “To nourish this growth, we need more young people to aspire to careers in this sector, but of great concern at the moment is the decline in UK university applicants for electronics. I am delighted that our summer schools are proving so popular and hope they will ignite the enthusiasm of future electronics engineers.”

“These courses are a fantastic way for school students to learn about electronics and to encourage them into degrees valued by an industry that has a range of rewarding careers to offer,” said Professor Bashir Al-Hashimi, Associate Dean for Research at the University of Southampton’s Faculty of Physical Sciences and Engineering. “Since UKESF started, over 30 of our students have been part of the scholarship scheme, undertaking valuable work experience that has informed their career decisions.”

The UKESF Summer School will be held at the University of Southampton from 7th-11th July.