West Midlands student Atiyyah Zafar wins Millennium Point Scholarship
Birmingham‑born Atiyyah Zafar has been awarded the 2025 Millennium Point scholarship, giving her a fully funded place on Birmingham City University’s Computer Science with Artificial Intelligence course, positioning her to join the UK’s next wave of ethical AI talent.
Employers have been warning that Britain could be 150,000 digital specialists short by 2030, so judges felt Atiyyah’s commitment to building AI tech is a sound investment in the future, emphasising why investing in local talent matters now more than ever.
The former Joseph Chamberlain Sixth Form College student is the 11th winner of the scholarship and intends to focus on AI tools that help close the digital skills gap in the West Midlands — an area that, apparently, the area is falling behind in. She said:
“Winning the scholarship made me feel really validated, and like all my efforts had been seen. It feels like this is the first time I’ve been able to actually voice my opinions about what’s going on in the West Midlands. A lack of digital skills has led to high unemployment, growing inequality, and increased online risks in the region. Many people struggle due to limited access to resources, fast-changing technology, and a lack of education.”
Abbie Vlahakis, CEO of Millennium Point, added: “Atiyyah is evidence of our belief that it’s important to back bright minds early. You’re not just changing a life, you’re strengthening the region’s future workforce. And with the potential for a digital skills crisis in the near future, it is this exact sort of thing we need to be backing.”
Last year’s recipient Patrick Mezzano is now studying Real Estate at BCU after impressing judges with his affordable‑housing ideas, underlining how the scholarship channels talent into sectors crying out for fresh thinking.
Over the last 10 years, the Millennium Point trust has supported organisations in the region with more than £45 million — including discounted rents, donations, scholarships and other support.
