Home » Business News • Employment News • World Business & Employment News » How Amazon is encouraging more women to get involved in engineering

How Amazon is encouraging more women to get involved in engineering

By Hugh Fort in Business News, posted May 25, 2022

Amazon is now taking applications for an award-winning scheme that aims to support women who want to study engineering.

Applications are now open for the Amazon Future Engineer Bursary, which is a national program in the UK to support women from low income homes who want to study engineering at university.

The company won the Charity partnership – Telecoms & Technology’ category at the Business Charity Awards 2022 for the scheme.

Applications are to stay open until Monday 06 June 2022.

What is the Amazon Future Engineer bursary?

It is a national bursary program made to support women that are A-level and BTEC/OCR pupils from low-income homes who want to study computer science or any similar engineering courses at university.

Women are highly underrepresented in engineering and technology in further education.

UCAS data on acceptance figures and university applications for the 2020 cycle revealed that women represent only 16 percent and 18 percent of successful applications to engineering and computing degrees.

At this pace of progress, the likeness of women taking on engineering degrees will not be reached until 2085.

These bursaries will help address the issue and hopefully increase the rate of progress.

They will give successful applicants a financial aid package worth around £20,000 to cover university tuition fees or accommodation and living costs.

Meet some of the Amazon Future Engineer bursary students

“In school I did an industry placement with an engineering scheme, which was a turning point in my studies. Now I have an opportunity to study in London and spend time abroad as part of my degree thanks to this bursary. I also love environmental art and want to show how computing and creativity are much closer than people realise –a technology career can be full of creativity!”
Sadia Wahid - Computing (International Programme of Study), Imperial College London

"At home, I always fix any technology that’s broken! We grew up surrounded by technology, and over time I started asking deeper questions –like how apps are created and developed.Now I’m excited to be studying computer science at a leading university, inspired both by women trailblazers who went before me and my dad’s incredible work ethic. There weren’t many Black girls like me in computer science class –but hopefully I can help to change that."
Vanessa Neboh - Computer Science, King's College London

“My degree in electronic and electrical engineering at the University of Strathclyde combines two of my favourite subjects: physic sand computer science. I’d love to work in renewable energy and I’m so excited that the bursary programme will help maximise my chances and will provide opportunities to learn from industry leaders.”
Finlay Harris - Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University of Strathclyde

You can find more on the scheme here.

Follow us on YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook