UWTSD students selected to take part in Dell's ‘inspiring’ STEM initiative

A group of UWTSD female students have been selected to take part in Dell Technologies STEMAspire programme - designed to support female students in STEM related subjects through education and into employment.

STEMAspire is a 12-month mentoring program and will see seven students from the University being paired with their own dedicated mentor who will help bridge the gap from higher education into the workforce.  As part of the programme, students will build confidence, attend a monthly group webinar, receive one to one mentoring support and benefit from industry experience and expertise from DELL’s partner organisations such as Accenture, Morgan Stanley, RBS and Cisco.

The seven students selected from UWTSD are Silvia Settle, Rebecca Macfarlane, Ana Covaliju, Taylor Winter, Raluca Moraru, Dora Boszormenyi and Claudia Marques Andre.  Claudia is currently studying for a BEng Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering degree.  She said:

“I’m really happy that I was selected and to know that I will have this support to develop my employability skills further. I will be well prepared to get a job in my area of interest and it’s a fantastic opportunity to build connections in the industry.”

Increasing the participation levels of women in technology is a key target in UWTSD’s new Digital Strategy 2021-2023.  Digital Services Director, James Cale, has welcomed the news.  He commented:

“I’m delighted with the news that six of our students have been selected for this inspiring mentoring programme and would like to thank Dell for their support.

Increasing the participation levels of women in technology is important to us as a university and is a key target in our digital strategy.  Women remain significantly underrepresented in the technology and digital fields and quite often the gender divide begins at an early stage of education. We want to encourage and empower girls to become leaders in tech in order to close the gap and excellent initiatives like this helps us to do that.”

Jane Bellis is the Executive Careers Adviser at UWTSD and has been supporting the students during the application process.  She added:

“This is the first time DELL have worked with a university in Wales following successes in England and Scotland. I am very happy to see 7 students taking part.

With the support of lecturers, we engaged with all eligible students and invited students to apply with a tailored CV and cover letter.  As a Careers service we offered support where it was needed.   We have a diverse group of students on the programme who embody our ethos of transforming education, transforming lives.  I have been greatly impressed with their engagement and commitment to the process.

We wish them all the best and hope to continue working with DELL in future on the STEMAspire programme.”

For further support from the careers services and to sign up for the MyCareer platform please visit www.uwtsd.ac.uk/careers

Further Information

For more information please contact Arwel Lloyd, Principal PR and Communications Officer, on 07384 467076 / arwel.lloyd@uwtsd.ac.uk