Siemens has launched a new undergraduate sponsorship programme to discover and inspire the next generation of engineering and tech talent.

The Digital Academy pays selected students £3,000-a-year from the second year of university, as well as up to 12-weeks paid summer placement throughout the duration of their studies within a Siemens business. The programme is a partnership between Siemens, the University of Sheffield and Newcastle University, and a further 15 principal UK universities. It aims to offer undergraduates a practical, collaborative space to explore Industry 4.0 technologies and put what they learn at university into real world use.

Six trailblazing students from EEE (electrical and electronic engineering) and computer science departments have been selected to pilot the programme this summer. Nikhil Patel and Miles Moran from Newcastle University, Thomas Edwards from the University of Sheffield, Diana Crintea from the University of Southampton, Maryem Khan from the University of Loughborough and Ariana Escobar Chalen from the University of Manchester were unveiled at a launch event at Siemens Digital Factory in Congleton.

Brian Holliday, Siemens Digital Industries MD, said: “The Digital Academy is another ground-breaking example of how Siemens and our higher education partners are working together to encourage young people to pursue careers in engineering and technology. This programme gives undergraduates applied and up-to-date experience to bolster their academic learning. By strengthening links between business and our world-leading universities, we can inspire and nurture talent to support the UK’s leading role in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.”

Applications for the next Digital Academy cohort are now being accepted from the following: the University of Sheffield; Newcastle University; The University of Manchester; Oxford University; the University of Cambridge; the University of Lincoln; the University of Southampton; Imperial College London; the University of Strathclyde; the University of Nottingham; the University of Birmingham; Loughborough University; Bournemouth University; the University of Bath; the University of York; the University of Warwick; and Aston University.

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