Eligibility Criteria
The Scholars in the programme are senior secondary school pupils studying maths or physics and preparing for university entrance. In Scotland this includes S5 and S6 pupils taking Highers or Advanced Highers, equivalent to Year 13 students taking A-levels.
To qualify, applicants must meet the following criteria:
“Currently in S5 or S6 AND studying higher or advanced higher maths and physics”
and meet ONE of the following criteria:
- Reside in SIMD 0-20 areas or a rural area
- Attend a school with low progression rates to university
- Be eligible for free school meals or clothing allowance
- Be a carer or care experienced
Outreach and Promotion
Recruitment for the Engineering Scholars Programme involved a multi-pronged approach to maximise reach and engage students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Key steps are included below:
Targeted school outreach
We began with a list of secondary schools already involved in Faculty of Engineering outreach and extended this to schools with historically low progression rates to university. Direct emails were sent to these schools highlighting the opportunity.
Digital marketing
Promotional materials were shared via the university’s social media channels, including Instagram and Twitter, as well as LinkedIn. While LinkedIn was not aimed at school pupils directly, it served as a way to reach parents and supporters who could nominate a young person.
Community engagement
Marketing materials were also distributed to local libraries and community centres in targeted areas across Scotland to ensure visibility among under-represented communities.
Leveraging network
Existing contacts within local education authorities was used, particularly STEM leads, to promote the programme within schools. At a national level, we also engaged with Education Scotland to further amplify the message across the country.
Through this broad and coordinated strategy, awareness not only locally in Glasgow but across Scotland can be increased.
Application Process
To manage scholar applications efficiently, Microsoft Forms was used. This platform provided a simple and accessible way for school pupils, parents, or nominators to submit applications.
The form collected essential personal details alongside qualifying criteria. To ensure data protection compliance, applicants were directed to the university’s privacy statement. By submitting the form, the applicants acknowledged how their information would be used.
Key features of the application process:
User-friendly design
The form was short, clearly worded, and easy to complete, helping to encourage a high volume of applications.
Data protection
The process aligned with the University’s data protection policies and ensured transparency by linking directly to the privacy statement.
Fair selection process
Although the form simplified data collection, the evaluation required careful review. The team met regularly to score applications, share notes and ensure decisions were fair, consistent and justified.
The structured yet approachable process supported broad participation and helped identify the most deserving candidates.
Timeline
In general, scholars recruitment timeline can be outlined in the graphic below:
Risk and Mitigation
The greatest risk in the recruitment of Scholars is that no-one applies.
Mitigation 1: Start early
Marketing should begin before summer holidays to raise awareness and ensure the applications come in before the start of the following academic year.
Mitigation 2: Make it easy
The application process should be as easy as possible, e.g. we used a simple online form to collect applicant information. Note that sensitive data is being collected, ensure to comply with data protection law and have appropriate privacy statements.