Published at 14:57, Wednesday, 06 June 2012

NEARLY £9,000 has been awarded to teenagers across West Cumbria in a scheme to encourage students into engineering.

FUTURE ENGINEERS: The successful students with Pete Woolaghan, front right, from the React Foundation, which has earmarked almost £9,000 for youngsters as part of its bursary and year 11 awards

The React Foundation has promised £8,600 to local teenagers through its annual bursary and Year 11 awards scheme.

This year the charity has gone one better and has awarded two bursary winners who will each get £3,000 towards university costs.

Helena Tranter, 18, a pupil at Cockermouth School, and Kyran Clarke, 17, from Keswick School, were named the winners.

They were given the top prizes after applying for an engineering-related degree at university which they are due to start in September. They will pick up the cash at the start of the autumn term.

During the awards event, held at The Beacon in Whitehaven, 13 other young hopefuls, from Year 11, were also given cash promises of £200 each.

They had been hand-picked from hundreds of entries from secondary schools across the region after pledging to study an engineering, maths, technology or science-related subject at sixth form in September.

The awards have been designed to help them kick-start their careers by offsetting some of the costs of sixth form. Entrants had to describe and explain their career aspirations in science and engineering.

The Institute of Mechanical Engineers West Cumbria also named one of its own bursary winners on the night. Cockermouth School student Samuel Cole, 18, was promised £1,000 after pledging to study an engineering-related degree at university in September.

Pete Woolaghan, chairman of the React Foundation, handed out the bursaries along with Ian Lupton, chairman of IMechE West Cumbria.

Mr Woolaghan said: “Times are difficult for those who have plans to succeed in the science and engineering industry. Our aim as a local engineering charity is to inspire and encourage young people to follow a career in the sector and support them to achieve their ambitions.”

Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk