A Cardiff University student (www.cardiff.ac.uk) has joined a national engineering programme aimed at furthering the opportunities for female engineers.

Eva Roke, a fourth-year student at the School of Engineering, was one of only 30 people in the UK to take part in the Santander Universities STEMships initiative.

The inaugural programme aims to break down the barriers for women entering the engineering industry by giving aspiring students the dedicated tools, resources and opportunities needed to succeed in the industry after university.

As part of the initiative, Eva will embark on a two-year support programme that offers: a £1,500 scholarship; an overseas experience at a leading engineering institution; unique networking events with prominent female leaders in the industry; membership of the Women’s Engineering Society; and mentorship and internship schemes through Santander’s wider networks.

She received the news during a special event at Silverstone, where former F1 World Champion Jenson Button took part in a panel discussion alongside Deputy Vice-Chancellor Karen Holford on the topic of women in engineering and how to cultivate the next generation of female engineering talent.

Professor Holford said: “Although a recent report revealed that just 12% of all engineers in the UK are female, there is actually a really positive uplift among young women — 26% of our first-year engineers at Cardiff University are female.

"I’m delighted that Eva has been accepted on the STEMships programme.

"She is an extremely talented and hard-working student, and I’m sure she will benefit greatly from this exciting opportunity.”

Eva said: “I am grateful to Santander Universities for this opportunity, and I am excited to get involved in the programme, to meet other young female engineers, as well as prominent figures in the industry.

"I hope to make full useof this platform to further the work I do — inspiring the next generation of young females to pursue learning and careers in STEM.”