Tech giant Siemens has launched a new undergraduate sponsorship programme to discover, inspire and nurture the next generation of engineering and tech talent.
Siemens’ ‘Digital Academy’ pays selected students £3,000-a-year from the second year of university and offers up to 12-weeks paid summer placement throughout the duration of their studies.
At the end of their degree they will be given the chance to join Siemens’ Graduate Scheme.
The programme is a partnership between Siemens, the University of Sheffield and Newcastle University, and a further 15 principal UK universities.
Six students from EEE (electrical and electronic engineering) and computer science courses have been selected to pilot the programme this summer. The students were unveiled at a launch event at Siemens’ Digital Factory in Congleton, Cheshire.
Meanwhile the company’s UK chief executive Juergen Maier has announced he is stepping down from his role earlier than planned.
Brian Holliday, Siemens Digital Industries MD, said: “The Digital Academy is another ground-breaking example of how Siemens and our higher education partners are working together to encourage young people to pursue careers in engineering and technology.
“This programme gives undergraduates applied and up-to-date experience to bolster their academic learning.
“By strengthening links between business and our world-leading universities, we can inspire and nurture talent to support the UK’s leading role in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.”
The first group of undergraduates were selected from the inaugural Sir William Siemens Challenge, a two-day hackathon-style event held at the University of Sheffield which involved 84 promising engineering students from partner universities.
Applications for the next Digital Academy cohort are now being accepted from the University of Sheffield; Newcastle University; The University of Manchester; Oxford University; the University of Cambridge; the University of Lincoln; the University of Southampton; Imperial College London; the University of Strathclyde; the University of Nottingham; the University of Birmingham; Loughborough University; Bournemouth University; the University of Bath; the University of York; the University of Warwick; and Aston University.