Radio frequency (RF) engineering and communications are an important part of the electronics sector in the UK, however the decline in numbers of young people taking an interest in radio communications has created a specific skills shortage.
The UK Electronics Skills Foundation (UKESF) and the Radio Communications Foundation (RCF) are therefore delighted to announce a new collaboration, which aims to increase the engagement of young people with radio communications technology.
Stew Edmondson, UKESF CEO, said.
“We recognised that we had a number of shared objectives with the RCF and we think that working together will help us have a greater impact in these areas.”
Sir Martin Sweeting, Chairman of the RCF Board of Trustees, commented.
“RF engineering is a vital enabler of today’s economy. Against a background of a shortage of RF engineers, the RCF is delighted to be working in partnership with the UKESF to encourage undergraduate interest in this field.”
The first collaboration between the UKESF and the RCF will be a competition to promote RF engineering.
The competition will be open to students at UKESF partner universities who complete RF and communications-related final year projects.
It will launch with the support of some UKESF company partners ahead of the next academic year, with details to be published later in the spring.
Notes
The Radio Communication Foundation (RCF) is a registered UK charity launched in 2003 by interested parties in the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB), industry and others with the mission to increase the engagement of people, especially young people, in radio communications (RF) technology. For more details call Don Beattie on 07802 922 219 or visit commsfoundation.org.
The UK Electronics Skills Foundation is an educational charity, launched in 2010, which operates collaboratively with major companies, leading universities and other organisations to tackle the skills shortage in the electronics sector. The UKESF ensures that more schoolchildren are aware of electronics and the opportunities available, helping them to develop their interest through to university study. At university, we support undergraduates and prepare them for the workplace. Contact info@ukesf.org or visit www.ukesf.org for more information.
