A group of advanced of leading UK aerospace manufacturers with major bases in Bristol are sponsoring a new Government /industry initiative to encourage graduates to extend their studies in aerospace engineering.
The new £6m bursary, jointly funded by Government and industry through the UK’s Aerospace Growth Partnership (AGP), will support 500 graduates and employees as they study Masters (MSc) level degrees in aerospace engineering. 
The goal of the initiative is to encourage talented people who would like to build a career in aerospace but who need financial backing to be able to continue their studies at Masters level. It will support both current aerospace employees who are already qualified to graduate level and BSc students currently studying at university.
Among firms taking part are GKN Aerospace, BAE Systems, EADS/Airbus, MBDA Missile Systems and Rolls-Royce – all with engineering plants in and around Bristol.
Marcus Bryson, chief executive, GKN Aerospace , which has wing manufacturing plants at Filton and Severnside, said: “This is a scheme that UK industry and Government have been absolutely determined to introduce. It joins a number of initiatives now underway that, in various ways, address the serious engineering skills gap we face in this country. This bursary scheme will offer genuine financial support to individuals, extending the pool of people who are able to continue their engineering studies and who then move in to the industry as their career”.
Participating individuals will make direct links with aerospace businesses and undertake projects as part of their studies that address real issues faced by industry. The Royal Academy of Engineering and the Royal Aeronautical Society will together run a competition that will allocate these bursaries.
Mr Bryson, who is also co-chair of the Aerospace Growth Partnership, added: “In the UK we can be proud of a world-leading aerospace sector that is second only in scale to the United States. Aerospace is a market that is predicted to grow significantly in the coming decades but there is increasing global competition – including from some new quarters. If we are to maintain and grow our market share then we must develop a new generation of engineers with the critical skills and the innovative thinking to help us compete and win new business.”
Other companies taking part are Bombardier Aerospace Belfast, Westland Helicopter owner Finmeccanica UK, Messier-Bugatti-Dowty and Spirit AeroSystems.
