Cobham-Ultra Scholarship recognised by the University of Nottingham

I recently had the privilege to represent Cobham during a visit to the University of Nottingham where I was given a tour of their fantastic engineering faculty and attended the graduation ceremony for the class of 2023.

It was a memorable day and especially exciting to visit the Nottingham campus as it is one of the leading engineering faculties that will benefit as part of our £5m investment in UK skills through the Cobham & Ultra Scholarship programme. This programme will help five hundred university students over the life of the fund from underrepresented groups further their education in engineering and realise their full potential. This support will not be limited to financial aid. As the programme develops, we will seek to offer mentoring, guidance and work experience opportunities too.

At Cobham, we know that if we can unlock the skills of people who might not normally get the opportunity to study engineering at university then not only can more people continue their personal development, but it can help the UK to continue its development of advanced capabilities.

As I looked out at the graduates waiting to come to the stage to celebrate the completion of their studies, I could not help but think about the future classes of graduates whose engineering skills will be vital to overcoming the challenges the UK faces. Through my experience in the Royal Air Force (RAF) I know how important it is we stay a step ahead of our competitors. In a competitive world, the next generation of engineers will help develop products and drive innovation that ensures the UK creates the opportunities needed to be both economically and militarily secure.

At Cobham and Ultra Electronics, we are immensely proud of our investment in skills not just at the University of Nottingham but also with five other leading institutions. Let me say thank you to the university for the visit and the warm reception you gave me. I could not help but be impressed by the work that you are doing and of course your excellent staff and graduates. I now look forward to seeing many students benefit in the future from the Cobham & Ultra Scholarship programme and realise their ambitions to pursue careers in engineering.