Headstart has been established for more than 16 years as a charitable trust providing hands-on STEM activities and engineering taster courses to encourage young people into technology-based careers.

Sixth Form students have to apply themselves for places on week-long residential courses at a range of universities during the summer. Competition for places is severe and it is a great achievement to be awarded a place. In his own words is James’s description of why he applied for the scheme.

I applied to get a headstart on finding out whether university – and engineering – are for me. I’ve always been interested in engineering. But whether it’s worth investing a large portion of my life in is a daunting question.

The programme offers me a week of trying different aspects of engineering and helping me to see, firstly, if the subject suits me, and secondly which aspect of it best plays to my strengths. I found writing an application quite challenging, trying to sell myself has never really been a strong point of mine. I wrote about my passion for engineering and how I’ve always like to make things serve a purpose. After hearing I’d got a place, I didn’t really realise that it’s actually a pretty big achievement until teachers I’d never met started congratulating me. Later on I found out around 1100 students were denied a place, which put it a bit more into perspective.