Championing future engineering talent
Friday 18 July 2025
Championing future engineering talent
The Lord Bhattacharyya Engineering Education Programme has been inspiring young people to learn about engineering and the rewarding careers it offers since 2020. Five years on, schools and colleges from the West Midlands have come together to celebrate its impact.
Led by the Royal Academy of EngineeringLink opens in a new window in close partnership with WMG, University of Warwick, the Lord Bhattacharyya Engineering Education ProgrammeLink opens in a new window provides a comprehensive package of engineering-focused science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) support. This includes grants to schools and colleges; teacher networking and CPD opportunities; funded industrial secondments; and individual FE and HE student scholarships.
Funded by the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT)Link opens in a new window for the initial five years, the Programme aims to widen participation in engineering and attract more young people to consider careers in engineering, particularly those from low-income backgrounds and other underrepresented groups.
On Wednesday 16 July, pupils and teachers from participating schools and colleges came together at WMG’s National Automotive Innovation Centre to showcase some of the projects that have been supported by the Programme and that have helped enrich STEM teaching and learning. The event was also an opportunity for those with scholarships to network with their peers and representatives from local industry.
As a result of participating in the Programme, Ernesford Grange Academy in Coventry has seen the best uptake in STEM and Design Technology in a decade. At Colmers School in Birmingham, more girls than ever have taken up the subject in Year 10, and the school’s Level 2 course was oversubscribed by two full classes. The school’s first-ever Year 12 student to be awarded a bursary is now on track for a career in water treatment engineering. Another went on to apply for a university bursary — the first student from the school ever to do so.
Lynda Mann, Head of Education Programmes at the Royal Academy of Engineering, commented: “Results from the past five years of the Lord Bhattacharyya Engineering Education Programme have been truly encouraging.
"Teachers report increased confidence in delivering lessons about engineering, students have a better understanding of the subject, and more of them are choosing the GCSEs and post-16 courses that open routes into rewarding careers in engineering and technology.”
The Programme will continue beyond its initial five years and will re-launch this autumn as part of the Royal Academy of Engineering’s ‘This is Engineering: Schools’ initiativeLink opens in a new window.
The Lord Bhattacharyya Engineering Education Programme was created as a tribute to the late Professor Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya Kt CBE FREng FRS, a renowned engineer, academic, educator, and government advisor who established WMG in 1980.
Since the Programme’s launch, almost £200,000 has been awarded to support engineering-focused activities involving over 50,000 pupils. The programme has also provided 139 scholarships to support learners studying STEM and engineering subjects post-16, as well as awarding 38 bursaries – each worth £15,000 – to help learners continue engineering in Higher Education.
Visit the Royal Academy of Engineering’s websiteLink opens in a new window for more information about the Programme, and to hear from some of the students it has supported.