Some of the lowest rates of participation in Higher Education are found in rural communities. Herefordshire suffers from numerous pockets of rural depravation and is among the worst 20 per cent of local authorities in England in terms of social mobility. The progression rates into Higher Education in Herefordshire of students who receive Free School Meals (FSM) are far lower than their non-FSM counterparts.

The Engineer in Herefordshire Bursary Fund sits strategically within NMITE’s Access and Participation Plan, whereby we aim to see a greater representation of students from disadvantaged backgrounds entering Higher Education. By removing financial barriers, our academic programmes will become more accessible to local groups who would otherwise be unable or reluctant to continue their education, enabling more people to train as engineers and contribute to a highly-skilled local workforce.