The UK Electronics Skills Foundation (UKESF) is delighted to announce a new partnership with Unibots CIC, an innovative non-profit organisation that hosts a country-wide robotics competition, bringing together university teams to design, build and compete in autonomous non-combat robotics.
Through this partnership, UKESF will support Unibots in its mission to provide a competitive platform for student growth, whilst making practical robotics more accessible and social. The collaboration reflects UKESF’s commitment to ensuring that Electronics undergraduates have the opportunity to develop their technical and non-technical skills, ready to thrive in the workplace.
Unibots is an exciting, national programme. In 2026, 36 university teams participated in the fun and collaborative challenge to create a compact, fully autonomous robot and put it to the test in a competitive arena. In doing so, the students applied their university learning to a complete engineering system, balancing mechanical design, electronics, software and strategy.
The competition helps participants develop valuable attributes to improve their work-readiness, including problem-solving, teamwork, resilience and communication. It also creates a vibrant, inclusive community where students from UK universities can learn from one another and build their own supportive network.
Speaking about the partnership, UKESF CEO, Stewart Edmondson said
“At the UKESF, we are passionate about creating opportunities for young people to develop the skills and experience needed to succeed in Electronics engineering. Unibots represents exactly the kind of practical, student-centred initiative that inspires innovation, creativity and teamwork. We are excited to partner with the Unibots team and support the growth of a competition that is helping to develop the next generation of engineering talent.”
Bruce Wilson, one of the Unibots directors said:
“Unibots was created with one mission in mind: challenge students to create ‘simple’ machines. We really believe in project-based learning, where countless engineering skills can only be explored through hands-on activities; and traditional theory teaching doesn’t quite fill all the gaps! We are incredibly excited about this partnership with the UKESF and the opportunity to grow alongside such a well-connected organisation. Together, we hope to provide students with an even better competition experience, and to help them develop their skills, teamwork, and confidence. We hope that while doing so, we can expand to more students across the UK, and cultivate our robotics community through training and knowledge-sharing.”
For more information:
Recommendations to improve gender equity across engineering and technology pathways
A new blueprint from the Gender Pathways collective calls on government to take sustained action so more girls and young women can access engineering and technology education pathways.
The Gender Pathways collective is a partnership of around 60 organisations, including the UKESF, committed to significantly increasing the number of girls and young women in education pathways to engineering and technology by age 18.
Girls and young women remain significantly underrepresented on education pathways into engineering and technology. In England, by age 18, only 26% of those on engineering and technology education pathways are women and girls. Recommendations published today set out how government can help raise this proportion to at least 40% by 2040. This blueprint for action was written by Engineering UK on behalf of the Gender Pathways collective.
Improving women’s participation is vital to help meet future workforce needs. An estimated 240,000 people are needed to join the engineering and technology workforce each year up to 2030. Women currently make up just 17% of the engineering and technology workforce. Increasing the number of women entering the sector would help build a larger, more diverse workforce and improve equity in the labour market. EngineeringUK estimates that if 50% of engineering and technology workforce entrants were women, they would collectively earn around £1 billion more every year, compared with going into other roles.
The first step is making sure more girls and young women can access and progress through pathways into engineering and technology.
Dr Hilary Leevers, Chief Executive of EngineeringUK, said:
“Action needs to be taken to remove the barriers that limit girls and young women from joining pathways into engineering and technology. Women are by far the most underrepresented group in the engineering and technology workforce. And they are grossly underrepresented in the educational pathways that lead into those roles. We have identified clear actions to improve that inequity. It is time to stop talking and start delivering that policy change.”
Dr Laura Norton, Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) Director, says:
“In publishing the 40 by 40 blueprint for action, the Gender Pathways collective makes evidenced recommendations for government, particularly the Department for Education. However, cross-departmental work is essential to achieving the change needed to address this gender disparity.
Sophie Batin, Head of Education at the UK Electronics Skills Foundation, said:
“UKESF have long understood the importance women in engineering and several of our programmes, such as our ‘Girls into Electronics’ events, are designed to address some of the barriers young women face. We welcome this blueprint and the clear actions given, recognising the positive impact these could have across our industry and beyond.”
“If you see something that interests you, apply for it, because the worst they can say is no. The YF program said it was for Masters and PhD students, and I was accepted as a 1st year undergraduate, and I gained so so so much from it.”
In this blog, Seb Masheder, undergraduate in Electronics and Computer Engineering at Newcastle University, and UKESF Talent Award Holder, shares his experience of attending the Design Automation Conference 2026 and being part of their Young Fellows Programme, and what he has learned from taking part. DAC 2026 (Design Automation Conference) is the premier global conference for the semiconductor and electronic design industry, bringing together researchers, engineers, and technology leaders to discuss the latest advances in chip design, electronic design automation (EDA), AI-driven design, hardware security, and systems engineering. It is widely regarded as the leading “chips-to-systems” event for the electronic design ecosystem.
I think it’s been a lifelong dream to get involved in it. Having played games for years and years (and spending far too long building redstone machines in Minecraft), I always wanted to build computers, and eventually when I was old enough I was curious about chip design, it spiralled, and here we are.
For the excitement, its probably that it’s an opportunity to continue to push one of, if not the, most complex pieces of technology further and further, simply because I find it absolutely fascinating. I’d also be lying if I said I didn’t want to try build the next Nvidia at some point.
The programme was really interesting, it gave me the funding to explore my research interests and I couldn’t be more thankful. The seminars at the start were good to see how the industry works and it’s trends, and the meetup at the start was good to meet other people on the programme too.
I applied to DAC Young Fellows after speaking to my tutor about ideas to spend the Career Development portion of my UKESF Semiconductor Talent Award bursary. He suggested attending the conference due to me building my own EDA tools, but I noticed there was a student programme (which was intended for masters and PhD students), but I applied anyway and got in!
DAC63 was incredible, it was so interesting to see all the different paper presentations and novel ideas and concepts that some of which I’ve never even heard of. The exhibition was also great, managed to get a bunch of cool free stuff from a whole host of companies.
My favourite part was probably the industry presentations in the exhibition. My favourite was a presentation about about we aren’t limited by GPU compute anymore, it’s going to be the amount of CPUs you can fit (and cool) in a rack to be used for agentic tooling, and how the industry doesn’t really know how much is enough.
For the programme, beyond the application (which was fairly standard):
The most valuable aspect was probably the poster. It helped me learn how to summarise complex topics into a visual format. The presentation also was helpful as it made me need to think on my feet and get key information across to my audience who might not necessarily be experts in my specific domain.
I think the main thing I learned was that far more is possible than you think. With many many post-docs and PhD candidates around, naturally I was exposed to so much original and novel research, and I quickly learned that if something doesn’t exist (a tool, piece of hardware etc), it’s not really as much of a limitation as you think, and it’s now your job to go figure out how to make it work and then go make it. (Obviously money and time dependent)
I also think another massive thing I took away from this was the ability to start thinking laterally at research problems. Most, if not all, of the papers had a problem where the solution wasn’t immediately obvious and they had to go through different methodologies and solutions to figure things out.
If you see something that interests you, apply for it, because the worst they can say is no. The YF program said it was for Masters and PhD students, and I was accepted as a 1st year undergraduate, and I gained so so so much from it.
Girls into Electronics 2026 has welcomed 586 girls from 133 schools to 15 leading universities across the UK, giving students the opportunity to discover Electronics through hands-on activities, meet people working in the industry and explore future opportunities in STEM.
“An exceptionally enriching experience, this event is designed to broaden your horizons. Even if engineering isn’t in your future, the insights you’ll gain will empower you to make more confident, informed choices.” Girls into Electronics participant at University of Cambridge
The annual programme, delivered in partnership with Apple and leading university partners, is designed to inspire more girls to consider Electronics and demonstrate the many ways in which technology and engineering shape the world around us. Since Girls into Electronics was launched in 2022, more than 2,000 female students from approximately 352 different schools have engaged in the programme, getting hands-on with Electronics and hearing first-hand the inspiring experiences of women in the industry.
Throughout the day, students took part in practical Electronics activities, worked alongside university students, engineers and volunteers, and had the chance to ask questions and explore what a future career in Electronics could look like.
99% of participants said the event helped them better understand what Electronics is and how it is used in the real world, while 94% rated their Girls into Electronics experience as ‘Good’ or ‘Excellent’.
Following the event, 20 students were also selected to take part in the Apple Mentor Programme, providing an opportunity to continue developing their interest in Electronics with support from an industry mentor.
Read the full Girls into Electronics 2026 report here
To celebrate this year’s programme, we have had a video produced that captures the energy, enthusiasm and experiences of the students who took part.
Watch the Girls into Electronics 2026 video here
We are hugely grateful to Apple, our university partners, volunteers and engineers for their continued support, and especially to the students who took part with such enthusiasm, curiosity and ambition.
We are already planning for 2027, aiming to build on this success and open even more doors for young women in STEM.
Register your interest for the 2027 events here
“I really enjoy having the opportunity to talk about a subject that I’m truly passionate about and share that passion with like-minded people.”
In this blog, Robert Kennedy, undergraduate in MEng Electrical and Electronic Engineering at the University of Nottingham, and UKESF Project Engineer, shares his experience of participating in outreach activities, and what he has learned from taking part…
During my time as a UKESF scholar, I have been involved in a range of different outreach activities and experiences. This has included running stands at university open days and other exhibitions and supporting at events. It has allowed me to travel to different places across the UK and talk with a range of audiences, from school children to teachers to experienced engineers.
I have also presented at conferences and events both in person and online. Last year I presented at the Association for Science Education Annual Conference which was an amazing opportunity as it gave me the chance to showcase some of the amazing work that UKESF does and the programmes that we deliver. I also have enjoyed helping run online sessions, supporting teachers to use the UKESF Electronics equipment confidently in their classroom.
Scholars can prepare by planning ahead. It’s really important to think about who your audience is, what’s the main message you are trying to deliver, and what you would like the audience to take away and remember from the interaction. Outreach can take many forms, such as activities, presentations or simply discussions – so your preparation might involve producing a visual ppt template, making notes of real-life applications of the activity, or producing interesting talking points that you can draw upon.
Reflect on your own experiences and consider the key talking points that could help bring your message to life. Particularly if you’re speaking to younger audiences, it’s helpful to think about whether one of your experiences might engage them – have you run a cool project, or learned an interesting fact, or do you want to share an exciting opportunity that helped you? It can also be useful to think back to presentations or outreach activities you have delivered in the past and identify what worked well, so that you can build on those strengths. Taking the time to prepare in this way can help you feel more confident and ensure that your outreach is engaging, relevant, and impactful for your audience.
The main skill I have developed has been being able to connect with audiences regardless of their age, gender or experience level. I have grown more confident at speaking and presenting publicly. I have really enjoyed working as part of a team with others involved in outreach, it is a great way to share experiences and learn new skills.
I really enjoy having the opportunity to talk about a subject that I’m truly passionate about and share that passion with like-minded people. It feels really rewarding that I might create that spark of interest in someone else or give someone the courage to give Electronics a try. Outreach is never really a day-to-day activity so it’s nice to experience so much variety and learn so many different skills.
Young people are always looking for people who can give them a personal insight into a career or help them learn something new that they wouldn’t normally discover from a website. Outreach provides an opportunity for them to ask interesting questions, hear about real experiences, and get hands-on with resources and activities. It can help make STEM careers feel more accessible and relatable, while also showing the wide range of opportunities available.
Put yourself out there and find what works for you. Everyone has different strengths, and there are many ways to get involved in outreach. If someone asks you a question that you’re not fully certain of, don’t be afraid to reach out to someone else who might know the answer or offer to get back to them later. Remember that you don’t need to know everything to make a positive impact. Being approachable, enthusiastic, and willing to share your experiences can be just as valuable as having all the answers.
Find out more about participating in outreach activities here
Have you heard about Unibots UK? It is a student-led robotics competition for university teams in the UK; at the UKESF we’re big fans.
Hosted at UCL by the energetic Dr Thomas Gilbert and the supportive Fleming Society, they held their national finals on Sunday 28 June. It was a tremendous showcase of innovation, engineering and design skills, and a lot of fun. Bringing together student societies and groups from across the UK, it demonstrated the power of hands-on learning, persistence and the importance of gaffer tape!
A showcase of talent and creativity
I helped to judge the ‘Creativity and Technical’ award. It was clear from talking to the teams and discussing their solutions that the competition means a lot to the participants and their robots reflected their creativity, collaboration and problem-solving skills. From precision navigation to innovative object handling, the designs showed a good understanding of engineering principles combined with ingenuity. It was especially inspiring to see how students overcame problems and snags as the competition progressed.
Engineering skills in action
Throughout the finals, all the participants demonstrated a wide range of essential skills, including systems thinking, problem-solving, teamwork and resilience. These are the capabilities that employers across the electronics sector are seeking. Therefore, the Unibots UK provides a great way for students to develop these skills in a practical and fun way.
Although it was a competition, it was clear that there was a strong sense of community among the teams throughout the final. Teams supported one another and celebrated each other’s successes. This is great a reminder that engineering thrives on collaboration. Chapeau to the Unibots UK organisers and all of the volunteers and supporters for a well-run event.
Looking ahead
At the UKESF, we believe competitions like Unibots UK play a crucial role in developing engineering skills. By providing students the opportunity to apply theoretical knowledge in a real-world challenge, the competition helps to bridge the gap between education and industry. That is why supporting and celebrating such organisations is central to the UKESF’s ethos of building a strong, diverse and skilled Electronics workforce for the future.
“I learned that actually, I quite enjoy presenting at conferences such as this, and would be open to presenting in the future.”
In this blog, Alfie Hands, undergraduate in Electronics and Electrical Engineering at the University of Birmingham, and UKESF Scholar sponsored by CSA Catapult, shares his experience of presenting at an industry conference for the first time, and what he has learned from taking part…
The opportunity to present was shared with me by the Radio Frequency (RF) engineers that I work with at CSA Catapult. The ARMMS conference is primarily an RF & Microwave Engineering Society conference and being in a team with experienced RF engineers who were aware of the conference and had attended (and in some cases presented) before was critical for me. They encouraged me to present, as they saw it as a good opportunity. We worked together to come up with some ideas for what work I could present, which is what led to me presenting.
I prepared by creating my presentation, creating a loose script and practicing it a few times. On my own to begin with, then in front of some colleagues at CSA Catapult. They gave me some feedback which I incorporated and I found helpful.
It was definitely an enriching experience. For this conference, I had to write and submit a technical paper, as well as deliver a presentation about the work in said paper at the conference. I learned about how best to format the technical paper for submission, including IEEE standard captioning and labelling of figures. I wrote my first literature review, which I am sure will come in handy for my final year project. I learned how to read journal papers too. On a more personal level, I learned that actually, I quite enjoy presenting at conferences such as this, and would be open to presenting in the future.
The ARMMS conference takes place over two days, beginning at around 12:00 on the first day and ending at around 16:00 on the second day. My favourite part was the dinner that is hosted on the first night. This gives you a chance to talk a little bit with the other attendees, learn more about them and their personal lives, as well as making some connections and talking to some of the more experienced engineers about careers’ advice.
I believe that it has massively benefitted my career. For one, as an undergraduate student to be presenting at a technical conference and getting my name out there known amongst the wider RF & Microwave community is huge. You get to meet people and expand your network, which could be a useful tool in the future. Gaining that experience of presenting in front of a large audience too is very valuable. It is important as an engineer to be able to speak and deliver these types of presentations.
My advice would be that while yes, it is very nerve-wracking to stand up and present to an audience of 50+ people (the majority of whom are practicing engineers), these things are an excellent opportunity to get your name out there and get some good experience. The ARMMS conference specifically is a good environment for this. It is not an academic conference, and so the environment is more relaxed, and the audience aren’t there to grill you or put you down. So long as you are prepared, and you have practiced and you know what you’re talking about, you will be fine.
Find out more about presenting at ARRMS conferences here
A blog from Stewart Edmondson, CEO, UKESF
There is an oft quoted maxim that “every great journey begins with a single step”. This seems apt as the UKESF has been taking an important first STEP building the future skills pipeline.
In Spring last year, the then Science Minister, Lord Vallance announced a skills package for semiconductors to support “local talent pipelines and university-industry collaboration”. Having won the contract to be the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology’s partner for what became known as the Semiconductor Talent & Education Programme (STEP), we began our work in May 2025.
Now, after a whirlwind 11-months, we can reflect on a hugely successful programme, which included four separate projects from schools through to colleges to universities. Whilst it will take time to assess the longer-term impact of the programme, the headline figures make impressive reading:
Although STEP was a stand-alone programme, it didn’t come out of nowhere for the UKESF. Rather, it was built on the solid foundation of more than decade of experience. This has included Spark their Imagination, an impactful programme in South Wales delivered in collaboration with the CSA Catapult, our Electronics Everywhere project providing classroom resources to schools across the UK, as well as experience gained from Girls into Electronics and from our Award-winning, flagship, UKESF Scholarship Scheme.
A key learning from STEP has been about the importance of collaboration. We were able to deliver this national programme because of the relationships and support from our extensive network of partners across the UK, these range from our 30 partner universities through to regional colleges like South Devon. From training providers like Doulos to the National Microelectronics Support Centre and NMIS, the CSA Catapult, TechWorks and of course our many industry partners.
Another reflection has been about the appetite and high level of interest in participating in the programme. Applications for the Semiconductor Talent Award were oversubscribed, and we were able to readily find schools wanting to engage to use our classroom resources and to attend events. This level of enthusiasm has been encouraging and shows that there is untapped potential to build a future skills pipeline.
However, only so much can be achieved in (less than) a single academic year. In this respect, the programme should be viewed very much as a first STEP. In effect, a pilot, to demonstrate what can be achieved.
Like many other nations, we are at a point of strategic inflection for the UK’s semiconductor sector. Looking ahead, there is a need for sustained investment to deliver multi-year, focussed, education interventions and future workforce programmes with ambition. We need to build-on and build out from STEP, to enable the UK to fulfil its strategy ambitions in the semiconductor sector.
Read our Semiconductor Talent Award report here
Read our Semiconductor Skills in Schools report here
The UK Electronics Skills Foundation (UKESF) is delighted to announce that the Semiconductor Talent Award 2026 will provide comprehensive skills support for 700 undergraduate students throughout the 2026/27 academic year, equipping them with the sector-specific knowledge needed by the semiconductor industry.
“This support will be crucial to raise awareness of highly skilled, rewarding careers in the sector, and create a robust pipeline of motivated and capable graduates.” Stewart Edmondson, CEO, UKESF
The Award, funded by the UK Government, has been both extended and expanded to provide a programme of activities for first-year students studying Electronics, Computer Science, Materials Science and Physics. Continued support will also be available for those who participated in the scheme in 2025 and are entering their second-year of university.
The UK Semiconductor Sector is strategically vital and globally competitive; it has a well-established global reputation for excellence in semiconductor design and innovation. It will play an important role in underpinning emerging and transformational technologies. However, it is estimated that the sector could require more than double the current level of employment inflows to meet future demand (Semiconductor Workforce Survey, UK Government 2025).
The Award aims to break down barriers to entering the semiconductor workforce for those from underrepresented groups. Successful Award-holders will receive a £4,000 scholarship to support their studies, alongside interactions with an experienced industry mentor, professional skills development opportunities and industry insight webinars, and regional industry visits.
The programme will be delivered in collaboration with academic and industry partners, including the University of Sheffield, University of Edinburgh, UK Semiconductor Centre, ARM, CSA Catapult, STFC, IMAPS-UK and Doulos.
Applications are open for students starting a degree in an eligible subject at a UKESF partner university in September/October 2026. The deadline to apply is 30 June 2026. Find out more here.
Speaking about the Semiconductor Talent Award, Stewart Edmondson, CEO, UKESF said “The investment being made by the Government is very positive and most welcome. We’re thrilled to continue our work with more of these aspiring and inspiring students.
We’ll do our best to improve their sector-specific knowledge and skills, and engage with industry so that they are prepared to the ground running as graduates. This will help build a robust future talent pipeline for the UK semiconductor sector”
Alex Leadley, Director of Skills and Workforce at the UK Semiconductor Centre said “We are delighted to see the UK Government’s continued support for the UKESF Semiconductor Talent Award scheme. Funding of this kind will help to widen participation and increase applications onto relevant degree courses, which feed the semiconductor talent pipeline. Interventions such as this are vital, if we are to raise awareness of STEM careers, highlight the opportunities in the UK chip design and manufacturing sector, and inspire the next generation of engineers to help shape the future.”
“I think this trip will help me significantly in my career. It has helped me to appreciate the semiconductor industry from a more holistic perspective, understanding aspects which I have been less exposed to from my university education.” Samuel Kennedy, University of Southampton, UKESF Scholar of the Year
In March, ten of our fantastic UKESF Scholars travelled to Taiwan, accompanied by UKESF Trustee Dr Derek Boyd, where they were given unique insight into semiconductor education and the industry in Taiwan.
The fortnight trip was funded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and delivered in partnership with SEMI Taiwan. It comprised a packed agenda of in-depth workshops, industry visits and university education.
The Scholars, who are all final year undergraduates at UK universities, also had the opportunity to meet and collaborate with Taiwanese students from National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, fostering meaningful international connections and strengthening cross-cultural understanding.
The visit enabled the students to:
Our report shares more details about the programme and the valuable insights gained by the UKESF Scholars on the trip -> Read the report
We are incredibly proud to partner with DSIT and SEMI Taiwan to be able to offer this unforgettable experience to our UKESF Scholars.
“Semiconductors is a truly global industry, and Taiwan is such an important player. This visit, which we hope will be the start of a wider international programme, has provided the Scholars with an amazing opportunity to see this first-hand.” UKESF CEO Stewart Edmondson
The UKESF Scholarship is designed to equip the next generation of Electronics and Semiconductor Engineers with the skills to thrive upon graduation, through meaningful work experiences and wrap around skills development opportunities. To find out more, visit ukesf.org/scholarships.
This visit to Taiwan follows a trip taken last year by Dr Derek Boyd, Dr Joe Smith, Lecturer in Quantum Technologies, University of Sheffield, and Owain Isaac, Swansea University Student & UKESF Scholar.
We’re delighted to announce that our exciting Primary Electronics programme – Build a Bot – will continue throughout the summer term!
Pupils can design, code, make and test their very own Bot using a micro:bit, a servo and some paper. Build a Bot is designed to give primary students a fun, hands-on experience of Electronics that builds their confidence, teamworking, curiosity and problem solving skills.
All the resources needed to complete the project will be provided by the UKESF; and teachers and their pupils will be able to join a live 30-minute online session for a fun and interactive introduction to the project.
This is an interactive way to engage 9-11 year olds with simple Electronics principles in the classroom, alongside developing an understanding of how Electronics relates to their everyday lives.
This activity is free to UK state primary schools.
Register for one of our upcoming sessions below:

The information packs aim to showcase the sector to 15-18 year olds through detailing the impact of their local semiconductor industry and highlighting ways in which they can study for, and work in, rewarding, highly skilled local engineering roles.
The five packs cover:
Each information pack explores the sector’s local strengths, capabilities, networks, and opportunities, alongside inspiring engineers’ stories and practical guidance for students to explore pathways into Electronics and semiconductor careers.
If you’re a teacher, or you know a young person with a passion for STEM, please do share these resources with them.
This initiative is part of the UKESF Semiconductor: Skills, Talent and Education Programme. The UK is investing in skills support to underpin the long-term success of the UK semiconductor sector. The purpose is to provide more opportunities for young people to pursue rewarding, high-value careers in STEM, and support UK leadership in critical and emerging technologies. Find out more information about Semiconductor Skills in Schools here.
BrightSparks celebrates some of the most talented young Electronics Engineers in the UK, and we’re delighted that several UK Electronics Skills Foundation (UKESF) Scholars are among those recognised this year.
We would like to share our heartfelt congratulations to:
Jadesola Adelekan, Renesas Electronics / Loughborough University
Harry Hill, Ensilica / Imperial College London
Osian Jones, Compound Semiconductor Applications (CSA) Catapult / Swansea University
Samuel Kennedy, ARM / University of Southampton
David Miall, R-P-R / University of York
The Scholars received their Awards at the Electronics Weekly BrightSparks Awards 2025, held alongside the prestigious Elektra Awards on Tuesday 9 December at the Hilton Bankside, London.
Each of these Scholars has already made a real impact, whether through innovative projects, industry placements or outreach work inspiring the next generation.
These winners join a growing community of UKESF Scholars that have received recognition beyond their Scholarship. In total, 38 UKESF Scholars have now been awarded BrightSparks, a powerful reflection of the UKESF’s role in developing skilled, motivated engineers for the UK Electronics sector.
Find out more about BrightSparks and view all the winners here.