News“The UKESF Scholarship Scheme is a fantastic initiative that I recommend to anyone studying Electronics” UKESF Scholar of the Year 2023
The UKESF Scholar of the Year 2023 has been announced at the annual TechWorks Awards and Gala Dinner in London. Matt Cossins is the talented UKESF Scholar who walked away with the top prize. There were so many exceptional entries this year, the judges found it too difficult to choose just one runner up so two brilliant UKESF scholars were recognised, Vasiliki Xiradaki and Calum Thow.
All three of the fantastic finalists received rave reviews from their sponsor companies for outstanding contributions during their work placements and they have also done brilliantly well on their degree courses.
TechWorks Scholar of the Year winner 2023 – Matt Cossins
Matt is currently studying for his Masters in Electrical and Electronic Engineering at the University of Nottingham. In September, Matt completed his year long placement at his UKESF sponsor company Capgemini Engineering.
“I’m delighted to be the UKESF’s Scholar of the Year. It’s a perfect recognition of the hard work across my degree, my placement, my work for the Electronic Engineering Society at
the University of Nottingham, and my STEM outreach to my local school – Longsands Academy. It is especially rewarding to receive in my final year. I joined the UKESF Scholarship scheme back in 2019 when I started first year, so it has been a key part of my whole university experience. Simply having the scheme on my resume has opened doors and greatly expanded my network with like-minded, hard-working people within the Electronics industry.
“Completing a one year placement with Capgemini Engineering was an invaluable experience and a nice change of pace from university life. I got the chance to live in Bath, a lovely part of the country, whilst also working on interesting and varied projects. The culture at the office was very welcoming, and it was great to work alongside such friendly and talented people. On a technical level, I learnt skills and technologies that I had not previously touched, and on the soft skills side I had the opportunity to interview applicants to graduate roles at the company, and make full use of Capgemini’s library of online courses – such as courses in Project Management, and in AWS.
“The UKESF Scholarship Scheme is a fantastic initiative that I recommend to anyone studying Electronics. There are no downsides and there are numerous benefits – not least the UKESF Residential Workshop: an event that has been extremely helpful with working out my job interests post-graduation, and finding out more about Electronics Start-ups. Organisations like the UKESF make it very easy to promote electronics to young people, as many other similar STEM degrees simply do not have similar opportunities.”
TechWorks Scholar of the Year runner up – Vasiliki Xiradaki
Vasiliki, who is sponsored by EnSilica, is at the University of Birmingham studying for an Electrical and Electronic Engineering degree.
“I’m incredibly thankful for the doors that UKESF has opened for me. It’s an honour to be the TechWorks UKESF Scholar of the Year runner-up, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the support from my sponsoring company EnSilica, and more specifically my mentor, James Hawkes, my manager, David Tester, and all my amazing colleagues who actively supported me throughout this journey. I am looking forward to joining them as a full time engineer next year!
“The UKESF Scholarship Scheme has not only enhanced my technical proficiency but has genuinely changed my career trajectory. I am now more confident, more experienced, and more prepared for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. I wholeheartedly recommend the UKESF programme to aspiring students who are eager to dive into the world of electronics.”
TechWorks Scholar of the Year runner up – Calum Thow
Calum is completing his Masters in Robotics, Autonomous and Interactive Systems at Heriot-Watt University and his sponsor company is Allegro MicroSystems.
“The UKESF scholarship scheme is fantastic. I only discovered the UKESF last year whilst looking for a final year placement, so this last year has been a bit of a whirlwind for me. I am honestly floored to have been selected as one of the finalists for the scholar of the year award, it feels fantastic to be recognised for my hard work over the last few years. I want to extend a huge congratulations to Matt for coming first place and Vasiliki for being my fellow runner-up.
“I think the work the UKESF is doing is honestly one-of-a-kind. I can see from my fellow scholars that the scholarship scheme works, it’s evident that they excel in their fields. Beyond individual accomplishments, what truly stands out to me is the broader mission of the UKESF. I’ve noticed that, once at university level, opportunities abound for those willing to seek them out. However, at the school level, it can be challenging to gain exposure to or understand the importance of electronics engineering. UKESF is one of the few organizations actively addressing this issue, working to bridge the gap and make electronics engineering accessible and understandable at an earlier stage in education. ”
Watch highlights from the awards ceremony on 7 December 2023 here
