Engineering skills initiative the UK Electronics Skills Foundation has added three more universities to its programme.
The initiative is working with universities to address the declining number of electronic engineering degree students and to attract more talented young people to the electronics industry.
The universities of Glasgow, Newcastle and Nottingham have joined another eight UK universities already participating in the engineering skills initiative.
Industrial scholarships with work placements lie at the heart of the programme, allowing UKESF participating companies to find electronic engineering students and start their recruitment process earlier.
"The UKESF model has been carefully planned and by partnering with the organisation we can better tailor our courses to industry needs and foster links between our students and the UK's most innovative technology firms at the same time,” said Professor Barrie Hayes-Gill, head of The University of Nottingham's electrical and electronic engineering department.
The programme also includes professional development courses that advance its scholars' non-academic business skills, summer schools to attract A-level students to EEE degrees.
"University outreach programmes have traditionally been the preserve of firms with larger budgets. The UKESF programme changes this by offering a formal liaison process to companies of all sizes,” said Indro Mukerjee, chairman of the UKESF strategic advisory board and CEO of Plastic Logic.
“Companies will certainly benefit from the increased popularity of vocational courses, by getting involved in programmes that provide financial support and work experience to students undertaking EEE degrees,” said Mukerjee.
“Moreover, by defining a clear route to rewarding employment as part of the programme, these companies will ultimately attract more talented graduates into our exciting industry."
The three universities join Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Imperial College, Manchester, Southampton, Surrey and York.
