Mahdieh Ghoddusi joins UKESF as Director of Delivery

Hello, I’m Mahdieh. I studied Electronics myself and spent 17 years working in the sector at a global test and measurement company.

Throughout my career, I have seen the critical role that strong partnerships between universities and industry play in developing the next generation of engineers. The UK is facing a shortage of Electronics skills, and alongside rapid growth in the semiconductor and AI sectors, this is creating many opportunities for young people to pursue rewarding and impactful careers.

I’m particularly excited about UKESF’s role in providing school children with inspiring experiences of Electronics, something that resonates even more with me now as a parent.

Dates announced for Girls into Electronics 2026

Our hugely popular Girls into Electronics programme returns in 2026, taking place at 15 universities across the UK.

Sponsored by Apple, these one-day events give female students (age 13-18) the chance to explore Electronics in a university setting. Participants will get hands-on with a microcontroller and be inspired by talks from female Electronics engineers. 

Girls into Electronics is open to individual booking and school groups. If you know someone who might like to come along, or if you work in - or have any connections to - a school that might be interested in bringing a group, find out more here!

Build-a-bot: Engaging Electronics for Primary School pupils

We’re pleased to have supported 124 classes through our new Primary Electronics programme for the Festival of Tomorrow (Swindon) and British Science Week. The programme encourages positive and engaging interactions with Electronics by giving 9-11 year olds the opportunity to use a micro:bit and servo to make their own bot!

We are running more sessions throughout June. If you, or a primary teacher you might know, are looking for a an engaging post-SATS project, find out more here. 

We’re seeking more industry representatives to get involved in Primary Electronics - from using your volunteering days to run a Snap Circuits session in a local school, to partnering with us to provide resources that help to teach Electronics concepts in an engaging way. If you would like to find out more, get in touch.

Inspiring the next generation to ‘Get into Semiconductors’

More than 250 secondary school pupils have attended ‘Get into Semiconductors’, a series of five events that took place in South Devon, Newcastle, Glasgow, Swansea and Belfast. Throughout February and March, pupils with an interest in engineering careers had an opportunity to get hands-on with Electronics equipment and learn about the rewarding careers in the Semiconductor industry.

These events are part of the UKESF Semiconductor: Skills, Talent and Education Programme.

Supporting graduating UKESF Scholars into the workplace 

UKESF will be hosting our second annual event at Verification Futures, exclusively for our graduating Scholars to celebrate the completion of their UKESF Scholarship. The event will support their transition into graduate roles by giving them the opportunity to network with representatives from across the industry and participate in work-readiness sessions. 

Thank you to our sponsors IC Resources and Mathys & Squire.

Find out more here.

Taiwan International Skills Exchange Programme

UKESF Trustee Dr Derek Boyd, alongside a team of 10 UKESF Scholars have just returned from an International Skills Exchange visit in Taiwan. Funded by Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and working in partnership with SEMI Taiwan, the visit aimed to broaden students understanding of semiconductors, showcase the industry, and inspire the next generation of engineers.

Read the full report here.