Developing specialist engineering skills at pace
As AWE continues to deliver its mission of keeping the UK safe and secure through science, technology and engineering, the demand for highly specialised engineering expertise continues to grow.
Whilst our graduate, undergraduate placement and apprenticeship programmes play an important role in developing future talent, some critical engineering disciplines require advanced skills that cannot always be sourced quickly through traditional recruitment or early careers pathways.
To address this challenge, AWE created the Engineering Masters Scheme, an innovative programme designed to rapidly develop specialist Level 7 (master’s-level) capability in areas that are essential to our future success.
An innovative approach to talent development
Now in its fourth year, the scheme combines academic study with practical industry experience.
Each year, AWE identifies priority engineering skill areas and partners with universities offering master’s courses aligned to those needs. Successful candidates join AWE as permanent employees before undertaking a full-time MSc, maintaining strong links with the organisation throughout their studies.
Participants complete AWE-related dissertation projects, supported by technical mentors, enabling them to develop both specialist expertise and an understanding of the challenges they will help solve when they return.
Twelve months later, they rejoin the business equipped with advanced skills, fresh perspectives and a strong awareness of AWE’s culture, mission and engineering programmes.
Delivering results
The scheme has consistently demonstrated strong outcomes. In the most recent cohort, 77% of participants achieved distinction grades, with the remaining students graduating with merit awards.
The programme is designed to remain flexible, enabling AWE to respond to changing workforce needs by varying the engineering disciplines, university partners and student numbers each year. Recent areas of focus have included Construction Management at the University of Reading and Control and Instrumentation Engineering at Glasgow Caledonian University.
Building future engineering capability
For participants, the scheme offers an opportunity to gain advanced qualifications whilst contributing to real-world engineering challenges.
One participant, who recently completed the MSc at Glasgow Caledonian University, said:
“I really valued the campus visits from AWE staff while I was studying, the thoughtful support of GCU academics, and the ability to work on a cutting-edge AWE project as my MSc dissertation. This support has enabled me to rapidly use knowledge from the excellent GCU master’s programme to make meaningful contributions to the team. It has also provided valuable material to showcase to visiting international partners, further broadening my professional development.”
Professor Emmanuel Essah, Head of the School of the Built Environment at the University of Reading said:
“The University welcomes the opportunity to develop a sustained role in AWE’s talent development. The AWE employees who attend the Construction Management MSc engage well and provide unique insight in class discussions. With multiple AWE cohorts coming through, a virtuous circle of mutual support is now forming amongst AWE employees.”
Investing in the future
The earliest cohorts have now returned to AWE and are making valuable contributions across engineering programmes. Alongside their specialist knowledge, they bring fresh ideas, new approaches and the latest academic thinking, helping to strengthen innovation and enhance capability across the organisation.
By investing in advanced education and forging strong partnerships with universities, AWE is developing the skills needed to tackle complex engineering challenges today, and simultaneously building the expertise required for the future.
