May 19 2005
Students aiming for a career in construction have an opportunity to boost their finances, thanks to a new undergraduate grant scheme.
Inspire Scholarships is a fund launched by the national training organisation Construction Skills, which will offer 60 students a year up to £9,000 to help with their studies over three years.
The programme includes opportunities for work experience with leading employers such as Amex, Arup, and Persimmon and the possibility of a job after graduation.
Julian Humphreys, business manager of Construction Skills, says: “The number of graduate recruits has been in decline over the past ten years, but is now increasing. However, finance is a growing concern and these scholarships will provide a necessary incentive. Civil engineering courses and building and planning courses are becoming increasingly popular, according to Ucas, the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service. But graduate debt now averages £11,830, and with four-year sandwich courses and masters degrees becoming the norm for some construction careers, that figure is likely to grow.
Humphreys says: “This award will not pay for everything, but it will offset a large proportion of students’ costs.”
The scheme is similar to the Arkwright scholarships, supported by industry and offered to students who plan to study engineering, technology or other design-related degrees. Naomi Wheeler, an 18-year-old A-level student from Morpeth, Northumberland, is an Arkwright scholar who plans to study civil and environmental engineering at Imperial College London.
“The four-year course means I’ll probably have bigger debts,” she says. “I’ll have student loans and help from my parents and I’ll work, but a scholarship will certainly help.”
The companies supporting the Construction Skills scheme will be offering ten-week summer placements. These might extend to sandwich year placements and employment after university.
Arup Group’s Debra Larkman says: “We have been offering undergraduate scholarships for years, as do other employers, but this fragmented approach makes it difficult to see what’s available. The new scheme looks industry-wide, addresses the needs of employers and provides substantial funding.”
For more information, visit www.bconstructive.co.uk/uni