What is the SFBS programme?
Despite Black students' ability and ambition, Kings College London report lower attainment in undergraduate engineering and physics education for Black students. This leads to subsequent under-representation in various engineering spaces. The Success for Black Students (SFBS) Programme aims to change this, supporting a more diverse and representative community and achieving positive change.
The SFBS is working to ensure that Black engineering and physics students at Kings College London have equal opportunities and career prospects to the rest of their cohort. The SFBS supports the academic success of Black students within engineering through improving representation, mentoring and exposure to industry. As the first industrial partner to join the project, Siemens Healthineers have supported students in their academic journeys, offering mentoring and the opportunity to engage with representatives from the medical technology and engineering industry.
How are Siemens Healthineers involved?
Siemens Healthineers have primarily supported the SFBS programme through mentoring. In the 2023/24 academic year, 13 colleagues from various departments and roles including HR, business development, sales, imaging and engineering, volunteered their time to mentor Black KCL students. Their support included advising students on time management, navigating the job market, writing CVs and cover letters, interview skills and much more. Mentors and mentees met once or twice a month online to catch up, allowing them to get well acquainted. This academic year (2024/25), nine Siemens Healthineers mentors have volunteered and we are excited to continue working with the programme.
Measuring impact
Students' experiences of the programme vary as they were able to tailor their mentoring meetings to their individual needs. For example, one mentee had a keen interest in securing a position in robotics after university, so their mentoring involved help in writing a CV and cover letter, building a LinkedIn profile, practicing interview skills and discussing how to add skills and experience as a student. This student's mentoring experience also involved a visit to the Siemens Healthineers manufacturing site in Sudbury, where they were given a full tour of the site and even experienced a mock interview with the site's Head of Engineering and the Lead Automation Engineer.
Visit to Siemens Healthineers Magnet Technology, Oxford
A highlight of the partnership between Siemens Healthineers and the SFBS programme so far was a visit to our Magnet Technology site in Oxford. Undergraduate students from various engineering courses visited the Siemens Healthineers Magnet Technology site in Oxford, accompanied by KCL staff and PhD students. The visit allowed the mentees and mentors to meet in person, building a sense of community between the project participants.
The day involved a tour of the shop floor, led by Siemens Healthineers Principal Engineer and a Senior Engineer, providing students the opportunity to ask questions about the processes and their future careers in engineering and related occupations.
"The main thing that the programme helped me with was confidence. My mentors helped me realise I’m here for a reason, that boosted my confidence and I received a lot of information that I wouldn’t have otherwise. For example, how to manage my time, organisational skills, career growth and support with my CV. Even if everything I implement doesn’t work, it doesn’t mean it’s the end of the world, and there is a space for Black female engineers in the world."
