• Land Rover and WISE announce a new scholarship programme for young women looking to pursue a career in engineering
• Zara Phillips launched the campaign at the Royal Windsor Horse Show and talked about how inspiring both her Grandmother was following her time working as a mechanical engineer in the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) and also her mother, as the patron of the WISE organisation, are in helping young women choose engineering as a career
• The scholarship will award £9,000 to three female students or apprentices over three years
• At present, just 13% of the engineering workforce are female
• The announcement highlights Land Rover's commitment to increasing the number of female engineers in the UK and creating more diversity in the industry
• Minister for Skills, Matthew Hancock MP, welcomed the initiative

Windsor, UK, May 8th 2013 ‑This morning, Zara Phillips visited the Royal Windsor Horse Show to announce a new engineering scholarship programme. The Range Rover Evoque WISE Scholarship will provide a £9,000 bursary to three female students or apprentices who would like to explore a career or further studies in engineering.  In addition the winners will be provided with mentoring support from both Land Rover senior engineers and WISE representatives.

In launching the campaign Zara spoke about how inspiring both her Grandmother and her mother were in encouraging young women to consider a career in engineering. The Queen, then Princess Elizabeth, joined the ATS at her own insistence in 1945, aged 18. Having enlisted as a Subaltern, the Queen progressed by the end of the war to the rank of Junior Commander after completing course No. 1 at the Mechanical Training Centre of the ATS. As part of her training to become a fully qualified driver, the then Princess had to learn how to fix a car, including changing the wheel and basic engine maintenance.

Princess Anne is the patron of WISE which helps organisations to inspire women and girls to pursue science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) as pathways to exciting and fulfilling careers. 

Talking about the campaign, Zara said: "The UK has a rich heritage of women in engineering, encouraged by the success of the ATS. I'm delighted to be supporting the Range Rover Evoque WISE Scholarship which provides young women with the opportunity to progress their career. In the Three Day Eventing world, I compete equally with men and enjoy the challenge. In fact, on the Olympic team there was actually only one man and we all made a great team.  There are equal opportunities for both men and women to succeed in engineering and now is an exciting time to get involved."

Nicci Cook, Senior HR Manager, from Land Rover said: "Land Rover has a proud tradition of encouraging diversity in the workplace. Engineering is at the very heart of our business and we rely on a broad range of talents to give us a competitive edge and help us move forwards. We hope that the Range Rover Evoque WISE Scholarship will inspire a new generation of women in engineering."

According to a report published by EngineeringUK, Britain needs to double the number of engineering graduates and triple the number of engineering apprentices by 2020 to meet industry needs. At present, just thirteen per cent of engineering undergraduates are female, a problem Land Rover is determined to address. In addition to the Range Rover Evoque WISE Scholarship, Land Rover already runs specific training schemes to support ambitious female engineers.

The funding for the Range Rover Evoque WISE Scholarship has come from the 2012 MacRobert Award, which was presented to Land Rover for the Range Rover Evoque.  The MacRobert Award is the premier UK award for engineering.  The judges credited the ingenuity of the Land Rover engineers who succeeded in packaging key components under the vehicle floor, "with millimetre accuracy."

The scholarship is the first key activity to be announced using the funding from the award.  The remainder of the fund will be used to expand Land Rover's Inspiring Tomorrow's Engineers 4x4 schools challenge into a global initiative ‑ allowing schools around the world the opportunity to explore engineering as a career option.

Speaking about the Scholarship, WISE Director Helen Wollaston said: "The greatest British brands emerged through creativity, innovation and passion ‑ all qualities which shine through all the female engineers I have met, but at the moment, there are far too few of them. This new scholarship offers a really good start for a young woman entering the engineering profession. The industry needs to attract more female talent; this is a wonderful opportunity to do just that."

The scholarship has also been welcomed by government.  Minister for Skills, Matthew Hancock MP, said: "Britain needs more engineers from a diverse range of backgrounds to compete effectively in today's world. The government is delighted that the Range Rover Evoque WISE Scholarship recognises the key role played by female engineers and hopes that it will encourage more women to pursue a career in this exciting, dynamic industry."

The Range Rover Evoque WISE Scholarship is open to any woman who has arranged an engineering based apprenticeship or has a confirmed place on a higher education engineering course. For more information and to apply visit www.inspiringtomorrowsengineers.com

ENDS

For film, images and further information log onto www.uk.media.landrover.com or contact:

Rachel Murray
Press Officer, Land Rover UK
T: 02476 564 127
M: 07780 494282
E:  rmurra73@landrover.com

Kirstie Reid
Gaucho Productions
T: 02030 581 190
M: 07769 179 465
E: kirstie.reid@gauchoproductions.com                                 

Lucy Reynolds                                                                       
PR Manager, Land Rover UK                                             
T: 02476 564 161
M: 07801 699928                               
E:  lreyno25@landrover.com    

Kim Palmer
Senior Press Officer, Land Rover UK
T: 02476 564 129
M: 07795 666169
E:  kpalmer@landrover.com

 Notes to Editors

• Since 1948 Land Rover has been manufacturing authentic 4x4s that represent true breadth of capability across the model range. Defender, Freelander, Discovery, Range Rover Sport, Range Rover and Range Rover Evoque each define the world's 4x4 sectors. Land Rover products are currently sold in approximately 180 global markets.

 Range Rover Evoque WISE Scholarship

• Candidates must supply proof of placement at an educational institution and confirmation that they intend to complete an engineering degree or apprenticeship of three years or more
• Applications deadline end August 2013. 
• Three finalists to be shortlisted for interview, where they will deliver a presentation on a relevant topic.
• The winner will be announced in November at the WISE Awards.
• There will be one scholarship awarded in the first year, one in the second year and one in the third year.

 Jaguar Land Rover ‑ Inspiring Tomorrow's Engineers

• Jaguar Land Rover's 'Inspiring Tomorrow's Engineers' (ITE) programme works closely with schools across the country to promote learning and engagement with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) subjects and to help create the next generation of engineers and technologists.
• Jaguar Land Rover is the only automotive manufacturer in the UK to run Education Business Partnership centres (EBPCs). There are five EBPCs at each UK site, which provide an interactive and practical approach to learning across all stages of the national curriculum.
• In support of the Government's STEM Agenda, Jaguar Land Rover has worked with other automotive, engineering and academic organisations to develop three national challenge programmes for schools.

 Key achievements

• More than two million young people have participated in Jaguar Land Rover ITE activities since 1999
• In 2012, more than 200,000 young people directly participated in ITE
• Jaguar Land Rover contributed £350,000 to education‑related programmes in 2012
• 95 per cent of the 5,000 teachers Jaguar Land Rover worked with last year said ITE had increased students' engagement with STEM
• More than 1,800 Jaguar Land Rover employees supported ITE activities in 2012 as part of their professional development
• Jaguar Land Rover recruited 189 apprentices, 312 graduates and 98 undergraduate industrial placements in 2012 to develop the next generation of engineers, some of whom had previously participated in the ITE programme.