Tech giant Apple is working with a UK charity to encourage more young girls to enter the world of electronics.
The iPhone maker is supporting the Girls into Electronics programme alongside the UK Electronics Skills Foundation (UKESF), a charity that works to tackle the skills shortage in the industry.
The scheme will give 400 girls aged between 15 and 18 an insight into the electronics industry – including semiconductor design and manufacture – with the help of 15 of the UK’s leading universities.
The two organisations have highlighted figures from Ucas, which show that only 3,245 students enrolled in degrees in electronic and electrical engineering in the UK in 2021, of which only around 335 were women.
Stew Edmondson, chief executive of UKESF, said: “Many students touch upon Electronics in their Physics and Computer Science lessons at school, but the breadth, complexity and importance of the field is often not fully understood.
“This initiative will ensure that more young people get to experience this fascinating and creative subject, and learn about the worthwhile opportunities available in Electronics Engineering.”
Events for the scheme will take place in June and July this year, with students able to register their interest via the UKESF website.
Mari-Anne Chiromo, Apple’s inclusion and diversity partnerships lead in Europe said: “We believe education can be a powerful force for equity, and help provide young women with the tools and opportunity to pursue a rewarding career in hardware engineering.
“We’re thrilled to be working with the UKESF on this important initiative, to encourage more women from all backgrounds to study electronic engineering and improve the current gender imbalance in the field.”
