A YOUNG engineer who dreams of working in Formula 1 is in pole position after securing a prestigious scholarship.
Darlington College student Jack Clark has been awarded £12,000 towards the cost of studying engineering to masters degree level.
Equally important will be the 10 weeks of paid work experience a year he will also receive from the sponsors and the chance to secure a job with them.
Two scholarships are awarded every year as a legacy to the former tobacco company BAT and thanks to the backing of Tracerco, Cummins Engines, Henry Williams, Deep Ocean and MTE Ltd. They are awarded to the top mechanical engineering students studying in the borough.
Jack, of Northallerton, is in his second year studying the Level 3 extended diploma in engineering and is expected to secure the top grade of triple D*.
He then plans to study a five-year masters degree, which includes a year in industry, before pursuing his ambition to secure a position as a race engineer in Formula 1.
His tutor Rob Elliott said: “Jack really deserves this success because he is an excellent student, dedicated, committed, with an extremely bright future.
“The world is crying out for skilled engineers and there are some amazing opportunities in Darlington, the region and the UK for those with the right qualifications and aptitude.”
The 18-year-old was nominated by Rob and had to complete an application form before being interviewed by a panel of sponsors and a delegate from Darlington Borough Council.
“The scholarship will really help and mean that I can concentrate on my studies instead worrying about money,” said Jack, who works part-time for engine specialists AMAC Engineering, of Northallerton.
“The work experience and opportunity to impress a potential employer will also be great. Then when I am older I hope to break into F1 to be a race engineer and work at grand prix all around the world.”
For more information on opportunities at Darlington College log on to www.darlington.ac.uk.