Programme objective
The Diversity Impact Programme was launched with the aim of inspiring change within university engineering departments. The programme provides funding for projects that transform the experiences of engineering students from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds.
Nearly £1m of funding has been awarded to 8 universities whose projects will use a range of innovative methods to tackle or better understand barriers to student success.
Canterbury Christ Church University
The School of Engineering, Technology and Design is launching a new equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) focused engineering higher education toolkit. This aims to increase the pipeline of women, Black, Asian and minority ethnic, and low socioeconomic status students to address the regional and national skills gap. Employers need diverse engineers that can graduate seamlessly to industry, addressing skills shortages. However, gender, ethnicity, and social background all impact engineering students’ employment prospects, which is disappointing, as diverse teams improve the economic growth of enterprise.
Teesside University
Teesside University (TU) is a strong recruiter of local students, with 73% of students recruited from the North East, which has significant areas of deprivation and low participation. The Tees Valley is one of the most disadvantaged areas in the country, with . Since 2013, the population of students that TU recruits from areas in the most deprived quartile (according to the Index of Multiple Deprivation) has increase. Similarly, the university is also actively increasing recruitment amount students from areas with lower participation in higher education, for instance, quintile 1 of the POLAR4 classification.
Despite this, only 41% of the current postgraduate research (PGR) population in the Department of Engineering are home students, meaning a significant underrepresentation of students from areas that are economically underserved.
This project will trigger a period of change for students from our target groups to become involved in research. It will provide them with opportunities to enhance their CVs, understand what research involves and raise their awareness of future careers in research.
Ulster University
WE-Bridge-Program aims to bridge the gender gap in students joining the electronics engineering course at Ulster University. The main goals are..
University of Bath
The project will equip the next generation of the university’s engineering graduates from underrepresented groups with entrepreneurial skillsets and the confidence and resilience they currently lack, compared to peers from well-represented groups. The complete programme will aim to provide participants with..
University of Bristol
Ca-pow! aims to co-create a cycle of empowerment for underrepresented undergraduate students by developing a means to capture, understand, and overcome alienating educational experiences. Undergraduates from underrepresented groups will co-lead activities in three workstreams, leading to immediate empowerment for those individuals and establishing the means to deliver sustained empowerment for future intakes of students. It will combine the expertise of the Faculties of Engineering, Social Science and Law, and Life Sciences.
University of Dundee
EMBEDD is aimed at students and high school pupils from low socioeconomic backgrounds, recognising the intersectional issues impacting women, those from Black and minority ethnic backgrounds, and those with disabilities. Individuals from these backgrounds, especially at the intersection, are underrepresented both in pursuing engineering qualifications and in the engineering sector more widely.
This project will aim to address and encourage those from underrepresented backgrounds to study a STEM subject, while also bringing inspiration to those who may not have considered or believed they have the option to study a STEM subject and thrive.
University of Hertfordshire
The project seeks to inspire Black students to choose relevant A-levels, a degree and subsequently a career in engineering through a short series of two-day residential courses at the University of Hertfordshire, taken at the end of Year 10. Follow-up revision workshops will take place over the Easter holidays and mentoring with current Black students will occur and continue remotely to support the students’ journey to university.
University of the West of England
The project aims to improve belonging for minoritised engineering students at UWE Bristol, through developing connections with local maker and repair communities in the West of England. Through co-development and repair workshops with local groups, students will be brought together in a purposeful and practical environment to form a student community founded upon peer support and friendship. Students will add value to communities, solving local problems and fixing broken goods.