At just 21 years old, Dilani Selvanathan has already opened the eyes of thousands of young people to the breadth of opportunities available in engineering. She was the winner of the 2020 IET Paul Fletcher Award. Dilani is a final-year Apprentice Software Engineer who combines working for the BBC with studying at Queen Mary University of London for a bachelor’s degree in Digital and Technology Solutions. “In 2017, at the start of my apprenticeship I was awarded the IET Horizons Bursary (now IET Future Talent Awards), which can help with personal costs,” she said. “When I opened the box and read the letter congratulating me as a winner, I was in shock. I thought: ‘No way!’“This is when my relationship with the IET began. It gave me the opportunity to access IET resources and activities. I became a STEM [science, technology, engineering and mathematics] Ambassador and started volunteering, networking and attending IET events. Getting involved in all these activities helped me to gain a lot of experience and build up my connections.It’s so important to promote STEM, especially to young people because they don’t know about all the amazing career opportunities that are out there. I feel like all the STEM workers have a duty to inspire the next generation because what students learn about in school are generic job roles, whereas people like me know their own role inside out and can share their stories and experiences, to enlighten and encourage young people to consider a career in STEM.“I am very passionate about sharing my story because I know what a massive impact this type of interaction can have on a young person. Back in 2016 I attended a Girls’ Insight course at the BBC and listened to female software engineers talking about their roles, as well as a female apprentice. It was a fascinating and inspiring day that led to me deciding to do a software engineering apprenticeship at the BBC!”
Speaker's bio
