I have been involved in the UKESF scheme since the second semester of my second year of university. Partnered with CSR I spent my summers working in their digital design department. Apart from the generous bursary provided the scholarship gave me a great chance to work on skills which prospective employers seek. A workshop is mandatory which brings together scholars to share their experiences and hone skills that promote teamwork. It was also a great opportunity to meet students from all over the UK who share the same interests in engineering as myself.
November of 2013, I was award scholar of the year by UKESF! This was for my work towards developing LCD controller and NFC chips. Promoting electronics to A-level students was also praised by the award.
The scholarship has been a great addition to my academic life, and my experience with CSR and the UKESF professional development workshop will prove invaluable as I start my career when I graduate next year. Through the scholarship I've been able to connect with industry and with other like-minded engineers, so I appreciate the level of competition I was up against to get this award, it's a great honour.
Neil Dickins, director of the recruitment agency IC Group,the award's sponsor said: "All four finalists made valuable contributions to their sponsoring companies and in encouraging school students to pursue studies in STEM and electronic engineering. Ultimately a difficult task, we decided that Ashley should take the award as he produced a particularly professional looking submission demonstrating excellent communication skills. The industry welcomes well rounded individuals like Ashley and we wish him the best in his career."
