Williams launches F1 academy

Racing team will mentor up to 10 students each year in a year-long extra curricular programme

Williams, the Formula One team and advanced engineering company, has launched a new engineering academy in partnership with HR services provider Randstad.

The Randstad Williams Engineering Academy will begin in November 2015 and will see Williams mentor up to 10 students each year in a long term extra-curricular programme that aims to guide a new generation of engineers towards a successful career in Formula One.

Williams will partner with F1 in Schools - a not-for-profit organisation which encourages the development of Stem skills by allowing schools to take on the role of an F1 team - to select candidates. The academy will be open to those aged between 16 and 18 at the time of entry who have made it through to that year’s F1 in Schools World Finals. Successful candidates will be selected following a series of assessments.

Over the course of the next seven years each cohort of students will be gradually whittled down in number as they complete a series of vocational placements and mentoring experiences at Williams and undertake e-learning projects. When the students graduate from university, they will be offered full-time roles at Williams F1 in an accelerated development programme.

Pat Symonds, chief technical officer at Williams, said: “Formula One is a human capital business and companies like Williams rely on attracting the very best talent to stay ahead of the game. Too often young engineering students lack information and guidance on how to secure a job in the sport and this new academy will help break down these barriers. We will be giving talented students with a passion for Stem subjects the chance to get up close and personal with the team and be mentored by senior Formula One engineers.

“Young Driver Academies have existed in Formula One for a while, but this is the first time an engineering alternative on this scale has been established. We look forward to welcoming our first academy entrants next year, Symonds added.