Congratulations to Year 11 student, Alison, who has been awarded an Arkwright Engineering scholarship. These prestigious scholarships are awarded to hard-working 16-year old students to support them through their A Level studies and to develop their ambitions for a career in the engineering profession.

“I applied for the Arkwright Engineering Scholarship after it was introduced to us in school. The application involved designing an engineering project proposal, and I chose to focus on a product for the healthcare sector. After the project stage, I was invited to an interview with an engineering specialist and a teacher from another school. It was a bit nerve-wracking to present to industry experts, but it was a valuable experience and great preparation for future interviews”, said Alison.

Scholarship winners benefit from financial support for themselves and their school as well as mentoring from industry professionals who can provide advice and guidance on future study and career development. They also have access to a variety of exclusive events run by engineering companies, universities and trade associations, including Connect Days and Summer Schools.

Alison is looking forward to the opportunities this scholarship provides. After her A Levels, she plans to study Biomedical Engineering at university and hopes to eventually pursue a career in the biomedical science industry. “I hope one day to make a breakthrough that will help improve people’s lives”, said Alison.

Tormead students have a strong track record of achieving Arkwright scholarships, with Alison being the 10th student to receive a scholarship in the past 11 years. Students with an interest in engineering are encouraged to apply and are supported by Tormead staff throughout the application process. Miss Watson (Director of STEM),  Mr Cotterill (Head of Physics) and Mr Braun (Director of Studies) help to advise and prepare scholarship candidates.

Students have to undertake an aptitude test as well as submitting an application detailing their interest in engineering and any engineering-related projects they have been involved in. If they make it through the initial selection stages, they are then invited for an interview before the final scholarship winners are chosen. The rigorous selection process is very competitive, with around 2,500 applicants each year for the 600 scholarship awards on offer.