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09 April 2026

UKESF and Apple Girls into Electronics programme open to students studying computer science

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The UK Electronics Skills Foundation (UKESF) has announced that its impactful Girls into Electronics programme, supported by Apple, will return for summer 2026. Now entering its fourth year, Girls into Electronics aims to give girls positive experiences of electronics, alongside the opportunity to meet inspiring role models and overcome perceived barriers to entering the profession.

This year, one-day events will take place at 15 of the UKESF’s partner universities, enabling hundreds of girls to participate across the country. Host universities will include Imperial College London, University of Edinburgh, University of Manchester, University of Cambridge, University of Southampton and University of Bristol. Those attending will have the opportunity to participate in a Q&A with female Electronics Engineers, hear from an Apple engineer, and get hands-on activities with a microcontroller. Pupils can take their microcontroller home, enabling them to nurture their interest beyond the programme.

Participants are also invited to apply to join Apple’s Mentorship Programme. The Programme includes a one-off event at Apple’s offices in London, as well as a series of interactive mentoring sessions and insightful tech talks from engineers at one of the most admired tech companies in the world.

With Apple’s support the award-winning initiative has supported more than 1,500 girls to get valuable insight into the industry whilst experiencing what it might be like to study Electrical and Electronics Engineering at university. Many of these participants have gone on study the subject at a UKESF Partner University.

The Electronics and semiconductor sector is strategically important to the UK economy. Advances in Electronics and semiconductors is critical to providing technological solutions to some of society’s biggest challenges, including climate change, improving healthcare and better connectivity and communications. Girls into Electronics has been developed to address the skills shortage, reduce the gender imbalance and encourage more talented women to enter the industry, whilst supporting girls to develop the skills they need  to pursue rewarding careers in STEM.

Speaking about last years’ event at the University of Nottingham, one participant said “This event was genuinely career altering… I can truly see myself having a career in Electronics/Engineering.”

UKESF CEO, Stewart Edmondson said “We’re delighted to see inspiring young people we’ve met in previous years’ of the Girls into Electronics programme now succeeding at university. 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.”

The events will take place in June and July 2026. Schools and individual students can register their interest using the booking links below:

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