The programme, now in its fifth year, offers one lucky undergraduate a fully paid-for degree, from a choice of courses at the faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment at Birmingham City University. Almost 100 young people have applied for 2019 – a year-on-year increase of over 300% and the highest entry level in the scholarship’s history.

Rebecca Delmore, Commercial Director of Millennium Point said: “The level of entries this year reinforces the interest in STEM amongst the region’s young people; we are immensely proud to be in our fifth year of the Millennium Point Scholarship programme, and to be continuing to invest back into the West Midlands, and in our small way, breaking down barriers into education and ultimately into STEM-related careers.”

The scholarship is the flagship initiative from the Millennium Point Charitable Trust, and is fully funded by the charity, which in 2018 invested more than £4.8m in STEM-related organisations, projects and initiatives, based in the West Midlands.

The first scholarship winner, Malik Sheryar Karamt (pictured), graduated in July 2018 with a first-class honours in Mechanical Engineering.

Shortlisted applicants – who will be announced later this month – are provided with presentation skills training and support from youth leadership development charity UpRising, meet ups with the other candidates, as well as potential work placement opportunities and networking with STEM business leaders and professionals, all facilitated by Millennium Point.

At the live final, which takes place on 27th March 2019 in the Platform event space and 350-seat Auditorium at Millennium Point, candidates will present to a top panel of industry judges and a live audience, before the lucky winner is announced.