A scheme aimed at keeping the UK at the forefront of the global aerospace industry has recruited its 500th student.
Funded by industry and the Government to the tune of £3 million apiece, the Aerospace Masters Bursary Scheme helps students to gain a Masters degree (MSc) in aerospace engineering.
Lowri Nicholls (24) from North Wales already has a BSc in Mathematics; she will now study an MSc in Materials Science and Engineering at Leeds University.
Since its launch by the Prime Minister in 2012 at the Farnborough International Air Show, the Aerospace Masters Bursary Scheme has been assisting talented individuals looking for a career in aerospace who — but for the bursary — would have been unable to study at that level.
Managed by the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Royal Aeronautical Society, the scheme is sponsored by Airbus, BAE Systems, Bombardier Aerospace (Belfast), Finmeccanica UK, GE Aviation, GKN, MBDA Missile Systems, Messier-Bugatti-Dowty, Rolls-Royce and Spirit AeroSystems. It has received support from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Department for Enterprise and Learning in Northern Ireland.
Business Minister Anna Soubry said: “Aerospace is a sector where the UK has genuine world-leading capability. I want
to capitalise on this so that we can win a big share of the $5.5 trillion market for new aircraft that will be needed over the next 17 years.
"This scheme is helping to ensure that our aerospace industry gets the skills it needs to compete and grow, and it presents a great opportunity for people to build a highly skilled career.”