Engineering scholarship awarded to Alnwick student

Calum Swain is the first ever Arkwright Engineering Scholarship recipient from Duchess’s Community High School.

He was among 415 of the country’s most talented students who received their scholarships following a rigorous, year-long application process at ceremonies in London and Edinburgh recently.

They will receive financial and mentoring support through their A-Levels and Scottish Advanced Higher qualifications, as part of a drive to inspire future leaders in engineering.

The Arkwright Engineering Scholarships is a programme from national STEM education charity, the Smallpeice Trust, which has been providing scholarships to students since 1991.

Since its inception, more than 5,700 young people have passed through the scholarship programme, including award-winning BBC presenter Steph McGovern, who forged a career at Black & Decker before moving into business journalism.

This year more than 1,370 students aged between 15 and 16 years old applied, following nominations from their schools.

The award ceremonies were also used to highlight the achievements of women in engineering.

Dr Alan Begg, chairman of The Smallpeice Trust, said: "These aspiring engineers are at the start of a journey that I believe will see them become leaders in their chosen field.”

Nigel Fine, chief executive of The Institution of Engineering and Technology, added: “We support everything these scholarships stand for.”