"Amazon Grants £5,000 Scholarships to 30 Women in UK Pursuing Engineering and Computer Science
To celebrate National Engineering Day, Amazon has announced that it will be awarding grants to 30 women from low-income homes in the United Kingdom who are pursuing degrees in engineering or computer science. Amazon presently provides financial aid to 75 women attending institutions in the United Kingdom where they are pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) fields.
This year's recipients, who all showed an interest in making a difference via technology and creativity, will receive £5,000 each year for up to four years of college to help with living expenses, books, and tuition. Awardees also receive a package of wraparound support to build their professional and networking capital.
There remain persisting access inequalities for students from the least well-off families, especially at the most selective universities, according to a recent report by The Sutton Trust. As of 2020, one in 13 undergraduates at Russell Group institutions were from the UK's poorest communities, compared to one in seven at other institutions. This demonstrates that students from the poorest backgrounds are still underrepresented at the nation's top universities, even when they meet the GPA requirements.
The latest statistics from UCAS shows that women made up only 19% of accepted applications for both engineering and computing degrees in 2022, despite the efforts of many organizations to rectify the gender imbalance of students studying technology and engineering at university. TechNation found that only 26% of the UK tech workforce were women; the numbers were significantly lower for Black and Hispanic women (only 3%), and even lower for Asian women (only 5%).
Amazon's Director of Living Room AI, Science, and Technology, Lauren Kisser, said:
“The tech industry struggles with a lack of diversity compounding the digital skills gap and ultimately constraining our ability to innovate and drive growth. Through Amazon Future Engineer, we want to break down the barriers to opportunity that so many young people face to help diversify our next generation of tech talent. I’m delighted that we support our bursary recipients on their journey to become our innovators of the future, and I hope they will inspire even more young women to apply next year.”
According to Lynda Mann, the Royal Academy of Engineering's Head of Education Programmes:
“It is fitting that we’re extending our support to more bursary awardees on National Engineering Day, a day designed to inspire people from all backgrounds to consider a career in engineering. The concepts presented by this year’s awardees in their Amazon Future Engineer bursary applications vividly demonstrate the inventiveness and artistic abilities found within the underrepresented engineering community of women. The collaboration between the Academy and Amazon shows our mutual commitment to enhancing diversity within the field. We remain dedicated to identifying individuals with remarkable talents to contribute to a more inclusive engineering community that mirrors the society it serves.”
Mims Davies, an MP and Minister of Social Mobility, Youth, and Progress, stated:
“Ensuring young people from disadvantaged backgrounds have the opportunities they deserve, and transforming their prospects, is a key priority for me. Amazon’s initiative will no doubt help many women gain key new skills, allowing them to progress in work and boost the STEM sector with the extra talent it needs. Our recently expanded DWP Youth Offer means tens of thousands more 16 to 24-year-olds will have access to a Youth Employability Coach, providing them with tailored careers advice and help with preparation for interviews. Young people are an essential part of our workforce so it’s crucial they are provided with chances like these to kickstart their professional lives.”
This year's honorees include Basira Rishad, a freshman at Queen Mary University of London majoring in Computer Science.
Commenting, she said, “This bursary is life-changing for me. It will help cover my university costs and provide invaluable networking opportunities, connecting me with potential mentors and like-minded students who share my passions. Despite the challenges of growing up in adverse living conditions, I take immense pride in being the first woman in my family to pursue a degree.”
Leah-Megan Chi, another scholarship recipient, is currently a freshman at the University of Leeds, where she plans to major in computer science.
“I want to document my experience studying to show other people that they can do it too. Though there are more girls in my Computer Science classes, most of the students are boys. If I can do it, many other girls can, and I want to inspire them.”
Scholarship applications are now being accepted for the 2024–2025 school year by Amazon and the Royal Academy of Engineering. On May 7, 2024, the application period will end. In addition to financial support, winners will be invited to join an exclusive group of innovators at Amazon and the Royal Academy of Engineering, where they can learn from and network with inspiring role models, make lasting connections with like-minded peers, and take advantage of future chances for collaboration.
Amazon Future Engineer is a computer science education initiative created in 2019 with the goal of helping young people from underrepresented communities gain access to and participate in the tech industry. Through free Python coding lessons, career exploration via Class Chats and virtual school visits, continuing professional development (CPD) training for teachers, and more, the program has impacted over half a million children across the United Kingdom.
Amazon's dedication to training its employees and expanding employment possibilities is exemplified by the Future Engineer project. This endeavor is in line with Amazon's recent ranking as the second-best firm on LinkedIn's Top Companies list, further demonstrating the importance the company places on employee development and career advancement.