School of Electronics, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

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Launched in 2008, the Asidua Scholarship Programme aims to nurture fresh IT talent in Northern Ireland by supporting successful scholars with an unrivalled package worth up to £25,000. This year, the Belfast based IT software and telecoms services provider, has announced that 4 more of Northern Ireland’s brightest Computer Science and Engineering students will be joining their prestigious programme. During a recent award ceremony, Chief Operations Officer, Angela Canavan (centre) welcomes new scholars Jake Mercer (left), Michael Drury (left centre), Andrew Kingston (right centre) and Andrew Fletcher (right) to Asidua

[Belfast, Northern Ireland, February 13^th 2013]

Leading Belfast based IT software and telecoms services provider, Asidua, has today announced that 4 of N. Ireland’s brightest Computer Science and Engineering students have been awarded places on their prestigious Scholarship Programme, each securing a package worth up to £25,000.

Launched in 2008 in co-operation with Queen’s University Belfast and the University of Ulster, the Asidua Scholarship Programme aims to attract fresh talent into the N.Ireland IT sector, by offering successful Computer Science and Engineering students an unrivalled packaged worth up to £25,000.  

In addition to paid bursaries, the programme helps supplement the academic learning from University with real-life business experience through paid placements and full time job opportunities after graduation.  Due to its success in Northern Ireland, the initiative was expanded in 2012 to include universities in the UK Midlands area (Aston University, Coventry University, University of Birmingham and Warwick University).

Since 2008 Asidua, an Investor in People Gold company, has successfully awarded 16 scholarships to local students. This year, the Belfast based IT software and telecoms services provider has announced that 4 more of Northern Ireland’s brightest IT and Engineering students – Andrew Fletcher, Andrew Kingston, Jake Mercer and Michael Drury – will be joining their prestigious Scholarship Programme.

During a recent award ceremony, each of the scholars were formally welcomed to Asidua by Chief Operations Officer, Angela Canavan. “I would like to welcome Andrew, Michael, Jake and Andrew to Asidua and congratulate them on their outstanding achievement of being awarded places on our prestigious Scholarship Programme.”  Angela continued: “Each year the standard of applications to the programme increases in both quantity and quality, and I am confident that each of our newly selected scholars will have a bright career with Asidua.”

The award ceremony, which was also attended by family members and representatives from Queen’s University Belfast (QUB), allowed the new scholars an opportunity to meet future work colleagues and discover more about the company from current and previous scholars; many of whom have since returned as Graduate Engineers.

Speaking during the event, Director of Education at Queen’s University Belfast, Dr Lillian Greenwood, described the programme as “an excellent example of how seriously Queen's University Belfast and Asidua take the development of future professionals in the IT and technology sectors.”

“The ability to study at university and combine it with the professional experience gained at Asidua leads to highly skilled, better prepared graduates. The skills learned by the award winner strengthens their academic development by being given the opportunity to put theory into practice- key to becoming a well rounded professional.”

New Asidua scholar Michael Drury agreed by adding: “I was very interested in the type of work that the organisation was engaged in and believed that the experience I could gain from working with Asidua would be very beneficial to my degree as well as my future career in IT.”  Electrical and Electronic Engineering QUB student Jake Mercer continued: “I applied as soon as I could.  I hope to take every opportunity to learn and develop as an engineer and I have no doubt that in the future I will have benefited from this unique and invaluable experience.”  

Agreeing with his fellow scholars, Andrew Kingston outlined how he feels the programme will help him throughout his future career. “I'm confident the programme will give me invaluable real-world experience of working within this sector and I'm looking forward to putting the knowledge and skills I've learned on my course into practice.”

QUB Computer Science student, Andrew Fletcher was also excited to have been awarded a place on the prestigious programme and outlined his aims for the future. “As an Asidua scholar, I want to fully grasp every single opportunity available to me so as to allow me to further my technical skills and my development as a whole. I aim to further build my computing skills to a level far above that attainable solely in the class-room, by working in this world class setting alongside experienced IT professionals on innovative projects.” 

The sense of achievement was also extended from the scholars’ families.  “The ceremony gave us a great sense of what Asidua is all about and I am delighted that Andrew is going to be part of such a welcoming team,” explained Andrew Kingston’s father Kevin. “Having the assistance and support of Asidua over the next few years is definitely going to give Andrew a great start to his career.”

A view that was shared by Michael Drury’s mother Angela. “The Team at Asidua made us feel extremely welcome and it was evident that their success is built on the hard work of a very effective team, with staff and clients at the heart of everything they do.” Jake Mercer’s mother, Sharon Robinson, also agreed by adding that her son’s achievement was “a great opportunity from a company that values its staff and invests in its future and is going from strength to strength.”

Proud mother, Donna Fletcher, concluded the day’s events by saying: “Having learnt a lot about Asidua, I feel proud to be associated with a company which is so innovative, which values its employees and fundraises so regularly for a wide variety of charitable causes.”

The four new Asidua scholars will continue with their first year studies at Queen’s University Belfast and will return in the summer to begin their first placement with the global IT software and telecoms services provider.

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