A new group set up by Glyndwr University’s Engineering department will help graduates kickstart their careers and strengthen ties with the industry.
The department has launched the Engineering Industry Liaison Board (EILB) – a group set up to steer and assist in developing a curricular with the knowledge, skills and behaviours required for future engineers and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) graduates.
The group, comprised of local SMEs (small medium enterprises) and multi-national corporations, aims to connect and utilise Board members’ wealth of experience.
They also hope to provide insights into the technical skills engineering graduates should develop before starting their career.
The Board will also enable opportunities for staff and students to connect with industry leaders and their networks by attending site visits, talks, conferences and/or project and placement opportunities in the coming years.
Dr Martyn Jones, Lecturer in Engineering, has been a pivotal figure in creating the EILB.
After announcing the launch, he said: “Engineering at Glyndwr is already an attractive setting for prospective students.
“Not only can Glyndwr offer small cohort sizes and as a result, one-to-one guidance from our expert team, but also opportunities to collaborate with other engineering disciplines to further skills and understanding before graduating.
“The EILB enhances this offer further with leading-experts across various engineering fields coming together to tailor and steer programmes which will enable graduates to secure credible career outcomes.”
Martyn added that the group will be a great networking opportunity for the University.
He said: “The EILB is a great project for us to harness relationships with the sector and will hopefully become a gateway to further collaborations and partnerships.”
The EILB was launched in June with the support of Glyndwr Enterprise Team and meetings are to be held twice a year to maintain relevancy to current industry environments.
Charlotte Oram-Gettings, Business Development Manager for Enterprise and Innovation said: “We are so pleased to be supporting this great opportunity to bridge expertise between industry and academia through the new EILB.
“The immense response and support shown so far has demonstrated that this is a much-needed initiative, for which we will continue to support in response to organisations engagement and build on this fantastic start!”.
This collaboration is a big opportunity for Glyndwr and for organisations involved as parties have a direct feed into the university’s engineering portfolio.
Board members represent organisations from a local and national setting including, Toyota, Kellogg’s, National Trust, Teledyne CML, Tritech, Envirohire and MST cars.
Engineering at Glyndwr is part of the Faculty of Arts, Science & Technology. The Faculty is made up of a vibrant grouping of other disciplines ranging from sustainable Architectural Design Technology and related Built Environment and Housing subjects, Computing, Games and Cyber Security courses, Forensics and related sciences.
It also includes the Visual and Performing Arts, Humanities subjects and a Media area embracing Music, Sound, TV and video communications technologies.
Dean of the Faculty, Professor Alec Shepley spoke of his delight at the launch of EILB and hopes to secure further cross-departmental alliances.
He said: “Building our connections with industry is invaluable for our team of academic experts but also for our students.
“We want to provide opportunities for them to build their networks and innovate with other disciplines across STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics) industries and provide a holistic experience to equip them with the relevant transferable skills to pursue a career they feel excited about.”
The EILB is committed to welcoming new organisations and board members to further the initiative. If you are an organisation who would like to be involved please contact Martyn Jones at martyn.jones@glyndwr.ac.uk
For more information about Engineering at Wrexham Glyndwr University, visit https://www.glyndwr.ac.uk/en/Faculties/FacultyofArtsScienceandTechnology/Meetourstaff/Engineering/
Pictured: Charlotte Oram-Gettings.