New scholarships launched to support future female engineers
EMBARGO to 00.01am Friday 21 June
Teesside University has announced new scholarships available to students starting their first year of an engineering-related degree.
Teesside University is working in partnership with Enginuity and RWE Sofia Offshore Wind Farm to attract more women to study an engineering-related degree, with a view to create a more diverse talent pipeline for current and future industries in the Tees Valley.
Ann Watson, CEO of Enginuity and BA (Hons) Business Studies alumna, said: “The opportunity to work with Teesside University and offer these scholarships to attract more women onto an engineering degree is a privilege and such an important thing to do.’
“The engineering skills that you will gain through a degree or any other route into engineering will set you up for life. My advice to women thinking about an engineering career would be to just do it.”
Matthew Swanwick, Project Director, RWE Sofia Offshore Wind Farm, said: “In recognition of International Women in Engineering Day, we are delighted to support a new scholarship at Teesside University, aimed at supporting women in their pursuit of engineering degrees.
“RWE benefits enormously from the many capable and talented women we have working here. We think it’s essential to do what we can to increase the number of women in engineering and are hugely supportive of this initiative.”
The scholarships hope to meet the demand for skills stimulated by the new government and corporate investment in the region, and will be crucial to grow the pipeline of talent coming into the Tees Valley, particularly in engineering. The Tees Valley is home to a dynamic industrial landscape with opportunities for new businesses and growing skills development.
Dr Tannaz Pak, Associate Professor (Research) in Energy and Environmental Engineering in the University’s School of Computing, Engineering & Digital Technologies, who was named among the 2021 winners of a Top 50 Women in Engineering: Engineering Heroes award by the Women’s Engineering Society (WES), said: “Teesside University is committed to supporting and encouraging women to study an engineering-related degree.
“Having the opportunity to work in partnership with Enginuity is fantastic and we hope it continues to encourage more women to choose engineering as a career.”
The launch of the scholarships coincides with National Women in Engineering Day on Sunday 23 June which recognises the amazing women that contribute to the engineering trade.
If you are interested in applying for the scholarship and want to find out more about eligibility criteria, visit https://www.tees.ac.uk/sections/fulltime/scholarships.cfm.
Importance of donors: https://www.tees.ac.uk/sections/alumni/bursaries-scholarships.cfm
Michelle Ruane
Communications Co-ordinator
m.ruane@tees.ac.uk