Apple Electronic Engineering Academy hosts female electronics engineers

As well as partnering with the UK Electronics Skills Foundation (UKESF) for the Girls Into Electronics 2023 initiative, Apple has been holding its Electronic Engineering Academy, a two-day event for young women between the ages of 16-18.

The open days – which took place at the company’s new UK HQ at Battersea Power Station – provided attendees with a unique Apple-flavoured opportunity to learn about electronics and the career paths available in the industry.

Among the 20 students attending were school children from four schools in the local Battersea area.

Electronic Engineering Academy

The academy features a series of interactive sessions, with students having the chance to meet with industry experts, learn about the latest technological advances, and gain hands-on experience. It also included an expert panel of female hardware engineers already working for Apple.

Present at the event was Susan Prescott, Apple’s VP of Worldwide Developer Relations, Education and Enterprise Markets, who highlighted Apple’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, and the importance of electronics.

Such courses, she told Electronics Weekly, both demonstrated Apple’s commitment to equality and, for the longer term, helped provide potential employees for the company, which she described as being built on electronics. Her own background, she told attendees, was engineering.

“The Electronic Engineering Academy is part of Apple’s ongoing commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion in the technology industry. By supporting young women and creating opportunities for them to excel in the field of electronics, Apple is helping to shape a more innovative and inclusive industry for generations to come.”

UKESF

Speaking at the event was, Stew Edmondson, CEO of UKESF. He updated us:

“Over 200 girls have signed up for the Girls into Electronics events this summer. These events are being hosted at number of leading universities across the UK. Places are still available for girls aged 15-18 to find out more about Electronics and semiconductor engineering. Details and sign up can be found here: Girls into Electronics – UK Electronics Skills Foundation (ukesf.org).

It was in February of this year that the UKESF and Apple announced they would be partnering for this programme, to support up to 400 young women gain insight into a career in Electronic Engineering. They hope the initiative will encourage more students from diverse backgrounds to consider careers in this area, helping address a gender imbalance in the industry.

Universities participating in the initiative include Bath, Bristol, Heriot-Watt, Lancaster, Leeds, Queen’s Belfast, Sheffield and Southampton and Strathclyde.

The events will take place in June and July 2023 students can register here. And you can read more about the ‘Girls into Electronics’ programme on the UKESF website. Note that places are filling more quickly for certain institutions – for example, you can now only join the waiting list for Imperial College London or Kings College London.

“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,” said Stew Edmondson, CEO of UKESF.

“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.”

See also: Robotic Spot helps architects redevelop Battersea Power Station