Amy Scerri already has an impressive CV. About to enter her second year in mechanical engineering at the University of Bath, she’s an all-round high achiever, who was elected as chair of her university’s Women’s Engineering Society, is a STEM ambassador, and has secured two sought-after research internships.

She’s also one of 60 young women aged 18 to 25 to be offered a place on McLaren Racing’s 60 Scholars programme, an immersive six-week course that supports and inspires the next generation of female leaders in STEM, in collaboration with Cisco, Deloitte and Google. Udemy are also supporting as learning and skills partner.

A passionate motorsport fan who hopes to be a Formula 1 engineer and a future STEM leader, it’s clear Amy’s got a bright future ahead of her, but she can find it daunting to effectively communicate who she is to potential employers.

Through mentorship sessions, panel discussions, skills workshops, and hands-on racing experiences with inspiring figures from across McLaren Racing and its partner organisations, the 60 Scholars programme is helping to prepare young women like Amy to step into STEM careers with confidence.

Throughout the programme, we’ve been speaking to a selection of these women to learn more about what they’ve gained from the 60 Scholars experience.

Say it out loud

“My end goal is to be a Race Engineer,” says Amy. “Actually, I should probably admit I’m aiming high – I would really like to become a Technical Director. I suppose saying it out loud is an important step!”

Throughout the programme, scholars are delivered a series of virtual immersions, conducted by McLaren and our Official Partners Google, Cisco and Deloitte. These online classes aim to teach them the skills, knowledge and confidence to be loud and proud about their achievements, abilities and goals. Cisco’s immersion in the second week was centred around removing the guesswork and trial and error from recruitment.

Adele Every, Managing Director, Public Sector, inspired the scholars with a talk on life at Cisco and her own career, before Amy Blythe, Recruitment Manager and Inclusive Hiring Advisor for Women of Cisco UKI, delivered an in-depth presentation into the real world of recruitment, to fully prepare scholars to stand out in a competitive industry.

For Amy Scerri, it was an eye-opening session.

“Through the programme and Cisco’s immersion, I’ve learnt more about the external and internal barriers that might hold some women back – for example, women are less likely to apply for roles if they don’t meet 100% of the requirements, whereas men apply even if they only tick a few boxes. Even knowing this gives me more confidence to look at job descriptions and my own capabilities differently. While companies like McLaren Racing and Cisco are doing so much to break down barriers, there’s a lot we can do as individuals to build the careers we want, so we can inspire the next generation.”

A fresh perspective

Sita Morjaria is also pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering with a focus on composite design and aerodynamics. A sports lover, she leads the CAD and manufacturing team for her university’s motorbike team and has competed internationally in tennis and badminton, but she says she struggles to write about her skills.

“I talk passionately about what I love, but when it comes to writing a CV or cover letter, I don’t always know how to use the right language. That’s why Cisco’s session was so valuable. I learnt that being professional doesn’t mean not being yourself or letting your personality and passion shine through.”

Sita also learnt about ways to use AI to help find the words that do justice to her experience.

“Sometimes it can be hard to see how my skills add up or how to cut through my experience to write a personal statement or summary. In the immersion, we learnt how to use AI tools to give us a fresh perspective – and then how to tweak and personalise everything so it’s still coming from you.”

Personal empowerment was a key theme of the immersion, with scholars learning that they get to be in control of their development, something that Sita says has given her a new lens on her career.

“The interview advice is a good reminder that I can’t assume recruiters will automatically connect the dots and know what I can do just from my education and accolades. It’s my responsibility to sell myself, so I need to communicate what I’d be like to work with and how I’d approach problems – this also helps me positively frame tasks and opportunities as I go, so I’m noticing the value in real-time, not just when it comes to writing an application.”

You need someone in your corner

A key objective of the programme is to provide those taking part with a life-long network of mentors and peers, which includes the course leaders, key speakers, and those who deliver the immersions, as well as the 59 other scholars.

Even with the right skills, experience and motivation, it’s almost impossible to build a career alone, as Amy points out. Having someone on your side who helps you stay focused and find opportunities is priceless.

“I’ve had two teachers who’ve really helped me keep going – one was a female chemistry teacher who told me to persevere with my Further Maths A Level when I was thinking of giving up – and the other was a male physics teacher who made sure I was fully involved in STEM club when I was the only girl. He’s the reason I got into engineering and really shows how vital it is to find mentors and role models as I progress in my career. That’s why the programme has been so helpful, and why Cisco really highlighted the importance of mentorship in its immersion.”