Funding helps young STEM stars break gender barriers

Sunday 15 November 2020

Three young engineering and tech stars have been awarded bursaries of £1,500 as part of a local initiative to get more young women into male-dominated areas of study.

All female Level 3 students in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) subjects at Highlands College were invited to apply for the bursary by submitting 200 words on why they enjoyed their chosen subject and how winning the bursary would be beneficial to them.

Soroptimist International Jersey offered the bursaries to encourage more girls to enter the male dominated areas of study at the higher education college.

The subject areas eligible for the bursary scheme included automotive studies; building services; building trades; digital games development; IT; and mechanical engineering and welding. 

Pictured: The bursaries aim to break down gender barriers in STEM subjects.

The beneficiaries were selected by a judging panel consisting of Catherine Kirby, President of SI Jersey, Jimmy Kelly, Managing Director of MasonBreese and Dreena Collins, Assistant Principal at Highlands College.

Announced in a ceremony on Thursday, the winners were Amy Hebert, who is on the Building Trades course, and Ella Mackenzie and Rubie Le Blond, who are both on the Creative Digital Media Production (Digital Games) course.

"These bursaries are hoped to encourage more girls to take up the challenge of entering these historically male-dominated subjects and it is great to see the increasing number of girls putting themselves forward," Ms Kirby said.

“SI Jersey has been committed to making the island a more equal place by focusing on educating and empowering women and girls over the past 70 years. Soroptimists provide a global voice for women and are proud to have Special Consultative Status at the United Nations.”