Morson Group celebrates big milestone in nurturing Salford’s young talent and creating pathways to employability

The Gerry Mason Engineering Scholarship was established in 2015, in memory of Gerry Mason; a design engineer and the founder of Morson Group, a £955million turnover business. The scholarship aims to continue his legacy by enabling budding engineers to study degree-level courses rooted in STEM. These scholarships focus on nurturing future skills for a diverse range of sectors, including aerospace, automotive, infrastructure, nuclear, engineering, IT & digital, and more, where Morson Group places candidates with leading companies as varied as Post Office and Rolls-Royce SMR.

From the outset, the goal of the scholarships was to help young people from Salford to reach their full potential by removing financial and social barriers to achieving a university education. Having now sparked a further partnership with IntoUniversity, an organisation that supports young people from disadvantaged neighbourhoods in achieving their goals for higher education, employment, and work-based training, the scholarships have created a lasting partnership between the Salford-based business and the University.

Ged Mason OBE, CEO of Morson Group, explains: “We work with some of the most successful companies in the world, and with highly educated candidates from across the globe, but our company hails from humble beginnings in Salford where so many young people miss out on education and training opportunities because of social deprivation.

“Fixing the issues in a community like central Salford where, according to the 2019 End Child Poverty Report, more than half of young people are growing up in poverty, cannot happen overnight. But, by helping young people access opportunities with a scholarship that would make my father proud, we enable those individuals to reach their full potential and inspire others to achieve, all whilst breaking down stereotypes, driving diversity and inclusivity, and creating a long-lasting legacy.”

For the past seven years, the Gerry Mason Engineering Scholarship and the Morson Group Scholarship – which launched in 2019 to specifically support students completing a computing degree – have delivered Gerry’s vision for helping young people in Salford to aspire and achieve. Thanks to funding and an active partnership with the University of Salford, 37 out of 53 scholars have now graduated. From creating an innovative Maker Space that teaches students real-world technical skills, to individual scholarships, Morson Group has been a driving force in life-changing projects that make a difference.

The most recent initiative is a new IntoUniversity centre at the Beacon Centre in central Salford, co-funded by Morson Group, which will work in the heart of the local community to support young people from ages 7 to 18.

Ged continues: “Encouraging people to aspire and believe in their potential begins at a young age, so this new centre is just as important as the funding we provide to enable young people to access university education.

“It will work closely with schools and families at grassroots level to ensure children are encouraged from an early age - by both their schools and their parents - to follow their dreams, aim higher and attain the opportunities they deserve. Together, we can provide education and career pathways for life, from work experience opportunities to roles at every stage of a person’s career, which is a catalyst for something truly remarkable.”

Amongst the Gerry Mason Engineering Scholarship students to graduate this summer was BSc (Hons) Computer Science scholar, Alisha Sadiq.

“This scholarship has made me feel so much more motivated to work hard and excel in my studies at university,” Alisha said. “To have a donor who believes in me and supports me is something I’m incredibly grateful for.” 

Professor Helen Marshall, Vice-Chancellor at the University of Salford, said: “As a university, we have a strong track record in the area of widening participation and are motivated to help students realise their full potential. Our partnership with Morson Group is something we value greatly. I am delighted to work with them on the launch of a new IntoUniversity right here on our doorstep in Salford. The new centre will engage traditionally under-represented groups and aid our shared mission to give all students the best possible opportunity in life to succeed.”

Dr. Rachel Carr, Chief Executive and Co-Founder of IntoUniversity, said: “Collaboration is at the heart of everything that IntoUniversity does and we are delighted to be working with Morson Group, alongside the Universities of Salford and Manchester, to support students in central Salford. Our new centre will offer an innovative programme that supports young people to realise their ambitions, achieve their academic potential, develop vital skills and gain experience of the world of work; opportunities that would not be available without the incredible support of our partners.”

Read more about the IntoUniversity launch in Salford and its donors.