UTC Reading student, Hisham Hafeez, has been awarded a sought-after Arkwright Engineering scholarship.
15-year-old Hisham, who recently completed his GCSEs, competed against thousands of students to be in with a chance of winning the scholarship in a rigorous selection process which involved a technical exam and an interview.
Arkwright Scholarships are awarded to high-calibre students who aspire to be future leaders in the engineering profession. There are two levels of the scholarship – funded and part-funded. Hisham will find out which level he has been awarded in mid-September.
The scholarship provides funding to support the purchase of materials for school or personal projects, as well as pairing pupils with a mentor. Pupils are also given the opportunity to attend exclusive events offering an insight into different sectors of industry and academia.
Every scholarship is company sponsored, meaning that support is offered in ways such as work experience, support for a curriculum project and a personal mentor.
Hisham, who is looking forward to starting A Levels in Maths, Physics, Chemistry and potentially a fourth subject of Computer Science at UTC Reading sixth form, hopes to pursue a career in engineering. He said: “I am delighted to have won the scholarship; it will give me a head start in my engineering career. The support and guidance from Jamie Chandler, our Executive Director of Specialisms, has been invaluable in helping me prepare.”
“There were three rounds in the selection process, including an exam on technical drawings. We had been learning about those just a few weeks prior on our course, so that helped a lot. Every Thursday after school, we met up to go through past papers and got lots of practice in.
“I hope to secure a degree apprenticeship in an engineering company once I’ve completed my A Levels. Coming to a UTC has been great because of the high levels of employer engagement; I’ve made so many industry connections and have had exposure to lots of difference companies”.
Congratulations to Hisham! We look forward to following your journey.
