Female engineering students are to be offered bursaries worth £1,250 a month to study for a master’s degree at London’s Brunel University. A total of 40 bursaries will be made available as part of the Women in Engineering Programme, covering 16 courses in sectors that include aerospace, automotive, construction, oil and gas and computing.

Brunel engineering lecturer Petra Gratton said: “Only around a quarter of students on engineering master’s courses nationally are women. This has to change if UK engineering is going to continue to compete as successfully as it currently does. Encouraging more women into the profession is vital to the country’s economic future.

“In addition, this Women in Engineering Programme will allow us to deeply study what is still holding back female engineers from realising their full career potential. The insights we gain will be shared throughout Higher Education and the engineering professional bodies.

“While some may see this as positive discrimination, the stark reality is that ‘UK plc’ can no longer afford not to fully exploit fully this enormous talent pool. Every British engineering company will tell you that they face crippling skills shortages; and without radical action, that can only get worse.”

The bursaries are backed by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, industry partners Babcock International Group and engineering consultancy TWI. As well as the financial incentive, graduate students will be offered mentors, opportunities to shadow senior engineers and industry experience.