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Foothold helps you with wellbeing, neurodivergent support, mentoring and guidance so you can study with confidence.
Wellbeing help, neurodiversity support, student volunteering, and practical tools to thrive
Build experience. Get support. Move forward with confidence.
Join a community of engineering students building real experience alongside their studies, developing their portfolio, and accessing support when they need it.
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Volunteer with Us
Whether you are in your first term or close to graduating, this is your community and your support network.
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Build your portfolio through volunteering, join webinars, and gain practical tools that help you become the engineer you want to be.
Why We’re Here for Students
Whether you are at the start of your engineering journey or approaching the end of your degree, the pressure to build experience, manage your wellbeing, and figure out your next step is real.
Foothold works with engineering students across the UK to help them take that next step. For most that means gaining real experience alongside their studies, contributing to projects, building a portfolio, and developing skills that employers actually notice.
Volunteering with Foothold puts you inside a working charity, on real briefs, with real outcomes. It is practical, flexible around your course, and gives you something genuine to talk about in interviews.
And if you ever find yourself under pressure, whether that is financial, mental health, or simply figuring out how you learn best, Foothold is here for that too. Whatever stage you are at, you are welcome here.
Volunteer with Us & Build Your Portfolio
If you are looking for experience that goes beyond your degree, volunteering with Foothold gives you the chance to work on real projects that make a difference.
You will not just observe. You will contribute to meaningful work that supports engineering students and professionals, while building skills you can confidently present to employers.
What you can get involved in
• Support campaigns and projects that reach real audiences
• Help create content, from videos to social media and blogs
• Take part in student outreach and community activity
• Work alongside professionals and gain insight into the sector
What you gain
• Practical experience you can add to your CV
• Portfolio-ready work you can show in interviews
• Confidence working on real briefs and projects
• Mentoring and peer support as you develop your skills
How it works
Opportunities are flexible and designed to fit around your studies. You can contribute remotely or in person, depending on the role and your availability.
Engineering Neurodiverse Futures Programme
When you volunteer with Foothold, you are not just building your own experience. You are helping support programmes that make a real difference to engineering students across the UK.
One of these is the Engineering Neurodiverse Futures programme.
Many students arrive at university and begin to struggle with focus, deadlines, or managing their workload. In some cases, this can be linked to neurodivergent conditions such as ADHD, autism, or dyslexia, often identified for the first time during their studies.
Engineering Neurodiverse Futures is a fully funded programme that helps students understand what they are experiencing and access the right support. This includes professional diagnosis, counselling, and mentoring, so they can continue their studies with greater clarity and confidence.
Whether this is something you recognise in yourself, or something you have seen in others, it is an important part of the support Foothold provides to the engineering community.
What's the Differently Wired Hub?
Join the Differently Wired Hub
Studying engineering can be demanding. Exams, placements, money worries, health, family responsibilities, and sometimes the feeling that you have to handle everything on your own can all add pressure.
The Differently Wired Hub is Foothold’s online space for aspiring and established engineers who are neurodivergent, think they may be neurodivergent, or want to better understand neurodiversity in engineering. It brings together information, advice, support, resources, and real stories in one place.
We give students and apprentices in engineering a place to turn to for wellbeing support, neurodivergent guidance, help with money worries, and real opportunities to build your portfolio through volunteering and projects.
Whether you want to explore support for yourself, learn more so you can support someone else, or stay connected to opportunities through Foothold, the Hub is a practical place to start. It includes guidance on neurodiverse conditions, how to get support or a diagnosis, resources, workplace insight, and stories from members of the engineering community.
Why this matters
%
1 in 7 people worldwide are considered to have a neurodiverse condition
%
47% of students with autism were undiagnosed upon starting their studies
%
80% of people aged 18-24 in the UK have waited more than six months for an NHS autism assessment
Why join?
Join our mailing list to hear about new webinars, volunteering roles, and support programmes such as Engineering Neurodiverse Futures and the Differently Wired Hub as soon as they open.
You will also get access to:
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Free articles, webinars, and resources on neurodiversity in engineering
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Support for students and apprentices navigating study or early career challenges
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A space where peers, educators, and employers can better understand neurodiverse engineers
Your options with Foothold
Volunteer
Volunteering with Foothold gives you hands-on experience on real projects that support the engineering community. Contribute to campaigns, create content, and work alongside professionals; all flexible around your studies and genuinely portfolio-ready.
Get Support
Foothold offers engineering students practical support across mental health, finances, neurodiversity, and career planning. Whether you need a listening ear or specialist guidance, we are here to help you stay on track and move forward with confidence.
Stay Connected
Join our student network and stay in the loop on new opportunities, webinars, and support programmes as they open. You will be part of a wider engineering community that looks out for one another, with Foothold always in your corner.
STUDENT FAQ
Yes. Volunteering with Foothold is open to all engineering students and apprentices.
While some of our programmes support neurodivergent students, our volunteering opportunities are for anyone who wants to build experience, contribute to meaningful projects, and support the wider engineering community.
Support we offer
Whatever you are going through, we have support that can help. From financial guidance and counselling to neurodiversity programmes and career-focused webinars, we take a practical approach and work with you to find the right next step. If you are not sure where to start, get in touch and we will figure it out together.
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