Bridge the gap between engineers and the boardroom

A Sainsbury Management Fellowship product story

Edited by the Processingtalk editorial team Mar 31, 2008

Engineer? Excellent qualifications? Ambitious? Stuck in a dead-end job? If you are stuck in an engineering role that isn't going anywhere fast, an MBA could be the answer to your problems

The Sainsbury Management Fellows (SMF) Society is offering bursaries to fund one year's tuition at a top business school.

Set up by Lord Sainsbury in 1987 and administered by The Royal Academy of Engineering, the scholarships are awarded to up to 14 outstanding young engineers each year.

Applications are now open to those with exceptional qualifications who want to study a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) at a premier international or UK business school.

The scheme aims to help engineers acquire business knowledge and skills which will propel their careers and enable them to make a positive contribution to both local and national economies.

Over 250 bursaries have already been funded since the scheme inception.

Many SMFs have gone on to achieve high-level success, either in the boardrooms of Britain's blue-chip companies, or setting-up their own enterprises.

Peter Young, who was awarded an SMF bursary in 2007 to study at the elite INSEAD Business School in France, explains his motivations for applying: "I was keen to study for an MBA as the qualification will give me a better understanding of how business works.

This will enable me to broaden my experience, take on more diverse roles and further develop my career.

However, as I would like to continue to work within the engineering industry, the cost of an MBA can seem very expensive.

The SMF bursary means that I can afford to do an MBA without feeling that I would have to move into banking or consulting to justify the personal investment".

Young entrepreneur Salam Al-Rawi, who set-up a software consultancy business, explains what he hopes to gain from his MBA course: "In addition to the generous bursary offered by SMF, meeting other successful business people is very appealing and it will enable me to further expand my network of contacts.

I hope that the experience and advice of the SMF alumni will help me to further develop my company".

Studying for an MBA at one of the world's top business schools can cost as much as GBP50,000 in total.

SMF is delighted to be able to assist talented engineers with this huge expense.

The competitive awards, from a total fund of GBP290,000, offer individuals with high potential the chance to complement their engineering qualifications with business skills that will open up exciting new opportunities in the business world.

Dan Mutaditch, President of SMF comments: "Bursary winners will join a network of over 250 SMFs, providing excellent contacts and resources which they can draw on in their future careers.

Many of these SMFs have gone on to achieve high profile success, demonstrating the value in helping develop engineers as leaders as the UK faces increasing global competition".

If are looking to develop your business skills and leadership potential, why not apply today? For information on SMF scholarships, visit the website now.