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Our Scheme is widely recognised as an exemplar of engagement between Higher Education and industry
Pictured above are the attendees of the first ever Scholar Workshop in 2011.
At the heart of the UKESF is our undergraduate Scholarship Scheme, providing students with the opportunity to experience Electronics and engineering in practice, through meaningful work placements, and to undertake professional development in order to succeed in industry as a graduate. Over the last ten years, our Scheme has gone from strength to strength, and is widely recognised as an exemplar of engagement between Higher Education and industry.
Over time, we have expanded the range of companies involved with the Scheme to over 70, reflecting the breadth of the sector from semiconductors, through analogue and digital design companies, to embedded software. Employer satisfaction remains reassuringly high; indeed, in a recent survey, an amazing 96% of respondents said that they would recommend us.
We now partner with 26 leading universities right across the whole of the UK, and have directly supported over 600 students. Of those who have graduated, 91% are working for Electronics, Engineering or Technology companies. We also remain committed to supporting diversity; since the Scheme began, 15% of our Scholarships have been awarded to female undergraduates. In addition, of the Scholarships awarded over the last six years: 21% were BAME, 73% were state-sector educated and 23% were the first in family to go to university.
Below, you can read about the experiences of three engineers who formed part of our first cohort of Scholars, all the way back in 2010…
Adam Malpass
Adam (UKESF Scholar 2010–12) studied at the University of Southampton and was sponsored by Dialog Semiconductor. In 2011 he won our inaugural Scholar of the Year Award, and in 2013 was named Young Engineer of the Year at the NMI (now TechWorks) Awards. Following graduation, Adam worked for his sponsor company for eight years at their office in Tokyo, Japan, ultimately as a Senior Analogue Design Engineer. He now works for another of our sponsor companies, Apple, as an ASIC Design Engineer.
He told us, “After graduation, I worked for my sponsoring company Dialog Semiconductor in Tokyo, Japan, for eight years, so I’m sure you’ll be happy to know that I spent so long with the company that provided me with the UKESF Scholarship. I have had the chance to design ICs that are being used in all kinds of products around the world, from mobile to automotive. My highlight so far was the first time I walked into a shop and bought a product that included one of my designs inside it. I wish I could say what it was, but sorry that’s a secret! My experience as a UKESF Scholar was great; it gave me a chance to learn more about the company and build relationships, so that coming back to work as a graduate was an easy choice.”
Fergus MacGarry
Fergus (UKESF Scholar 2010–12) studied at the University of Southampton and was sponsored by Imagination Technologies. Following graduation, he worked as an Engineer at Arm, and now works as a RTL Design Engineer at Apple – both of which are UKESF sponsor companies.
He told us, “I can’t pick out one career highlight, but something that never gets old is seeing new products using chips I’ve designed. I especially get a kick out of optimising for low power, and once you scale up how many of these chips are used around the world every day, I quickly realise that I have personally reduced the electricity consumption of humanity by a fairly large power station so far!
“My main memory of being a UKESF Scholar was a feeling of being surrounded by lots of really bright young engineers who were keen to build things. It was a really fun environment, and it meant wherever I have worked since I have pushed for participation in UKESF’s Scholarships, as I think they are the best ways to get access to some of the best young engineers in the UK.”
Matt Lokes
Matt (UKESF Scholar 2010–12) studied at the University of Southampton and was sponsored by Imagination Technologies, where he worked for five years following graduation as a Hardware Design Engineer. Matt later worked for another of our sponsor companies, UltraSoC, for over two years, and now works for Mentor Graphics as a Senior Engineer in Hardware: Tessent Embedded Analytics.
He told us, “My career highlight so far is having the opportunity to architect, design a key component in an ISO26262 certified IP design, which is being used in an ADAS system used in millions of cars. My UKSEF Scholarship gave me a good foundation in a good company to start my career. I’ve worked at several companies and met many other UKESF Scholars along the way, and they’ve all felt the same.”
Attendees of the first ever Scholar Workshop in 2011
