Teaching Company Scheme brings a Revolution

A Sheffield Hallam engineering graduate has won two awards for his contribution to a Teaching Company Scheme that helped turn an engineering company's fortunes around.

Sheffield Hallam engineering graduate, Elton Xhemali has won two awards for his contribution to Revolution, the output of a Teaching Company Scheme (TCS) that helped turn an engineering company's fortunes around.

He was presented with his awards by Lord Sainsbury, Minister for Science and Innovation, at the TCS Awards 2002 event in London last week, winning Best TCS Programme and the Engineering Excellence award (sponsored by The Royal Academy of Engineering).

Xhemali who graduated in 1999 with a BEng (Honours) degree in computer aided engineering and design won the awards for the successful TCS programme he undertook with Kendal based business, Ducker Engineering and Lancaster University.

Before joining the Teaching Company Scheme (TCS), Ducker Engineering was experiencing very difficult trading conditions.

It had a mature and declining market for its existing product range - workwear garment drying and handling equipment, as used in commercial laundries.

Drastic action was needed to save the business and it came in the form of a TCS programme accessing academic expertise and graduate skills.

Ducker Engineering's programme combined the company's existing skills, a business associates process knowledge and Xhemali's expertise.

The result was a brand new product in a brand new market.

Revolution, a continuous hand-towel processing machine, was brought from concept to customer trial in less than nine months.

According to Lisa Crossley, Managing Director of Ducker Engineering, Revolution literally turned things around: "The TCS programme revolutionised our business position and safeguarded its future in Kendal.

This year, for the first time in four years, we are actually able to forecast a profit.

We are now reaping the benefits of our earlier investment in the TCS programme.

In the first quarter of this year we have doubled our export turnover.

To win not one, but two awards on the night, out of only four, is just the icing on the cake for us.

It is a great reward for the commitment we made to TCS, which turned out to be a real business changing decision".

Xhemali, the TCS associate involved, explained: "Joining Ducker Engineering at such a difficult time was a steep learning curve for me, especially in terms of commercial awareness.

The fruit of our labours - the Revolution - has been so successful that we will be exhibiting it at an international laundry equipment trade fair in the USA in August 2003.

I now have a permanent post with Ducker Engineering as their Chief Design Engineer, as well as pursuing an MPhil postgraduate degree with Lancaster University".

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