This year, one-day events will take place at 15 of the UKESF’s partner universities. They aim to give young students a positive experience of electronics and overcome perceived barriers to entering the profession.
Universities taking part include, for example, Imperial College London, University of Edinburgh, University of Manchester, University of Cambridge, University of Southampton, University of Sheffield and the University of Bath.
The events will take place in June and July 2026 (see full details below). And note, schools and individual students can register their interest via the UKESF website.
The UKESF is an educational charity that works to tackle the national skills shortage for electronics, especially semiconductor design and manufacture. And Girls into Electronics is now entering its fourth year.
Girls into Electronics
Basically, the programme gives Key-Stage 4 pupils and sixth formers the opportunity to develop their interest in electronics, and at the heart of the programme is a one-day event at one of a range of UK universities.
During the day participants learn more about electronics and studying the subject at university. They can also participate in a Q&A with female electronics engineers, hear from an Apple engineer and get hands-on with a microcontroller.
Participants are also invited to apply to join Apple’s Mentorship Programme.
Impact
“We’re delighted to see inspiring young people we’ve met in previous years of the Girls into Electronics programme now succeeding at university,” said UKESF CEO Steward Edmondson (pictured, right).
“Through providing high-quality, immersive experiences, we hope to show girls, who might not have previously known much about electronics, what they could achieve and the impact that they could have in the sector. We’re grateful for our ongoing partnership with Apple and our partner universities, which has enabled us to grow the programme to give 500 girls per year this unique opportunity.”
Dates
The Girls into Electronics Event dates and locations are:
- University of Strathclyde (Glasgow) – Thursday 11 June
- University of Manchester – Tuesday 16 June
- University of Edinburgh – Wednesday 17 June
- King’s College London – Tuesday 23 June
- University of Liverpool – Tuesday 23 June
- University of Southampton – Tuesday 30 June
- UCL (London) this is a mixed gender event – Wednesday 1 July
- University of Leeds – Wednesday 1 July
- Royal Holloway University London RHUL (Surrey) – Wednesday 1 July
- Aston University (Birmingham) – Friday 3 July
- University of Sheffield – Wednesday 8 July
- University of Bath – Wednesday 8 July
- University of Nottingham – Thursday 9 July
- University of Cambridge – Monday 13 July
- Imperial College London – Tuesday 14 July.
Images: UKESF
See also: UKESF Skills Charter celebrates leading electronics employers
