A £1,000 cash prize for "the best Student in Computer Science" has been launched by Belfast-based recruitment agency VANRATH, in partnership with Ulster University (UU).
This merit-based reward is exclusive to students who study Computer Science at UU and will be given to the highest scoring full-time undergraduate student in each year, across the two Computing Schools on the Jordanstown/Belfast and Magee campuses.
In 2019/20, 51.1% of students from Northern Ireland were studying a STEM-related subject at higher education institutes within the UK.
However, there is still a widespread skills shortage within the STEM sectors. Around 86% of companies surveyed by the CBI (Confederation of British Industry) in 2019 said they were facing digital skills shortages and 93% expect their need for digital skills to grow over the coming years.
Thus, initiatives and incentives like VANRATH’s are aiming to combat this, by instead encouraging young people to consider career options in the science and tech worlds.
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Ryan Quinn, Managing Director at VANRATH said: “As the number of students who are choosing to study a STEM subject in a world class education institute like Ulster University continues to rise, we felt it was right to recognise this and offer a cash reward of excellence to the best performing student of Year 1, Year 2 and the all-important final year, in the hope that it will help them succeed in their future careers.
“Having worked closely with STEM students and universities in the past we felt that we wanted to give back to our young people, after what has been a tough 2020 and 2021 for them.”
Professor Jonathan Wallace, Professor of Innovation and Chair of the Computing Employer Advisory Board at Ulster University added: “We strive to provide our students with a supportive environment for their studies, helping them to achieve their full potential. These prizes are both a motivator and a reward for success, and this fantastic financial encouragement will surely contribute to building the strong talent pipelines that the digital sector needs.”
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You can check out all of the latest STEM-based courses available in Northern Ireland on Sync NI's Tech Courses board here.
