About Millfield News
Prestigious scholarship awarded to local pupil, Blake Parkinson
At a ceremony held at the Institution of Engineering & Technology, Savoy Place London, on 28th October 2011, Lower Sixth pupil Blake Parkinson from Millfield School, Street was awarded a prestigious Arkwright Scholarship for his outstanding work in design, engineering and technology.
The Scholarships support young people who show the potential to be the industry's future leaders in engineering and design, during their Sixth Form studies. Blake's Scholarship was presented by Mrs Carol Burke FREng, Managing Director, Unipart Manufacturing Group and recently voted as Engineer of the Year.
Scholars are selected following a rigorous selection process comprising a detailed application form, a two-hour aptitude paper and an interview. The interviews are held at top engineering universities across Britain. During interview, Blake presented his GCSE project work to a panel of interviewers and discussed his commitment to design, engineering and technology.
The National Director of the Arkwright Scholarships Trust, Dr Martin Thomas CEng MInstLM FIET commented: "This year Arkwright awarded 298 Scholarships, our largest ever amount. The increasing support that Arkwright receives from sponsors is a testament to the importance of the Scholarships in these times of economic difficulty. Arkwright identifies the future stars who will help pull this country out of difficulty in the coming years, as leaders in engineering or related areas of design. All of our new Scholars have absolutely phenomenal potential for the future and it's great to see that this area of the country is producing students of the quality I saw at the Awards Day."
The Arkwright Scholarships Trust this year celebrates its 20th year of Scholarship awards - the first 5 Scholarships were awarded in 1991. Arkwright supports young people during their ‘A' Level/Scottish Higher years by awarding £300 a year to assist with the purchase of materials and books. Scholars also carry the status of ‘Arkwright Scholar' into university. The school's design & technology department receives £200 per year for the next two years. Scholarships are sponsored by individual engineers, industrial companies, professional institutions, charitable Trusts, Trade Associations and the Services.
