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IET launches scholarship fund for engineering students

The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) today launched new funding of £1m towards scholarships for students considering a future in engineering.

According to a statement, the IET is widening its current scholarships portfolio with the Diamond Jubilee initiative that sees a further £1m investment to help aspiring engineers to achieve their ambitions.

From 2013, the Diamond Jubilee Scholarships will award £1,000 to every student achieving three A grades at A-level, for each year of their degree provided students are applying for IET-accredited courses in electrical, electronic and manufacturing engineering, and computing.

Entry opens in January 2013 through online submission.

‘Job prospects in these sectors continue to look strong, with companies continually seeking talented graduate engineers and scientists, as well as technicians and apprentices,’ said Linda Deleay, IET’s awards and prizes manager. ‘The IET’s 2012 Skills and Demand in Industry Survey shows that for the first time since the recession, companies are more confident in expanding their engineering workforce. As young people begin to realise the long-term investment they are making, the IET will assist in turning this investment into a worthwhile reality.’

In response to continued concerns over tuition fees, the IET is also calling for greater clarification about the money available to help students.

The call to action follows analysis of more than 800 tweets on tuition fees revealed that 40 per cent of people still had questions regarding tuition fees and sought advice among their peers about the repayments process.

While 47 per cent of tweets monitored were negative about tuition fees, two per cent enquired about extra funding or scholarships to help with fees.

Students wanting to know more about IET-accredited degrees and related funding streams should tweet @IETAwards with the hashtag #IETambition.

Alternatively, details about awards and scholarships can be found here.