Aim
The Engineering Scholar Programme aims to increase access to engineering for students from disadvantaged backgrounds by transforming their learning journey, supporting the engineering faculty’s widening access strategy, and inspiring young people through STEM outreach in schools and youth groups.
University outcomes and socio-economic background
Students from the lowest socio-economic backgrounds are less likely to complete their degrees, and less likely to graduate with top honours compared to their more advantaged peers.
Aspiration and access
Research shows that students from lower socio-economic groups often have lower aspirations to pursue further education.
Mentoring, tutoring, and relatable role models are proven tools to help raise these ambitions
Engineering awareness gap
Young people from disadvantaged backgrounds – especially girls, ethnic minorities, and disabled students – are less likely to be aware of engineering careers or see them as achievable. Many also lack guidance on how to pursue engineering through education.
“The need for the project was identified through internal research, which indicated that students from disadvantaged backgrounds studying chemical engineering at the University of Strathclyde were statistically less likely to complete their degree when compared to the overall graduation rate”
The three strands of the programme
Strand 1
Academic tutoring in maths and physics as well as personalised mentoring programme. Tutoring and mentoring were delivered by undergraduate engineering students
Strand 2
Support for widening access students in their initial year of university by way of mentoring from senior undergraduate students in the same discipline.
Strand 3
Mentoring from volunteer engineering professionals for undergraduate students in their senior years of university.
