Undergrads provide electronics expertise

A DTI-backed business support programme has expanded of its programme to provide electronics engineering undergraduates to companies for short- and long-term project placements.

Step Solutions: Electronic Engineering, the DTI-backed business support programme, has expanded of its programme to provide electronics engineering undergraduates to companies for short- and long-term project placements.

Thanks to a 250% increase in applications from UK electronics engineering undergraduates Step Solutions: Electronic Engineering is now actively seeking more UK companies wishing to benefit from having skilled undergraduates to take on clearly defined, business-driven, electronics projects.

In 2002 the Step Solutions: Electronic Engineering programme successfully placed undergraduates in around 140 SME companies.

All the undergraduates undertook electronics-related projects designed to deliver significant business benefits to the host organisations.

Project timescales ranged from a few weeks to a year and business benefits included reduced prototyping timescales and tangible cost reductions, which, in the case of one company, were as high as GBP 500,000 per year.

As well as learning new skills and acquiring essential business experience, many of the students were subsequently offered employment by their host companies.

Discussing the expansion of the Step Solutions: Electronic Engineering initiative, Philip Donnelly, the Managing Director of Step Enterprise, comments: "Step Solutions: Electronic Engineering aims to build on the success of last year's programme by identifying more relevant short-term and long-term projects for electronics undergraduates within UK industry.

These projects typically result in significant bottom line benefits for the companies involved while adding an extra dimension to the students' practical and business skill base.

Research clearly indicates that students who undertake such projects are much more likely to remain within the electronics industry following graduation, so we also see this programme as an ideal tool for tackling the lack of suitably skilled graduates taking up careers in electrical and electronic engineering".

During the summer of 2002, Sensatech, a small engineering and development business based in Brighton, took on Step student Jack Ormond, and gave him the task of testing an electromechanical weight measurement system.

In just eight weeks Ormond was able to analyse the existing system, suggest how it could be improved, and manufacture a new design prototype.

The project has had a great impact as Tom Bach, Managing Director of Sensatech, explains "I've been working on electronically measuring springs for about 12 years but Jack tried many things I hadn't the nerve to do".

Bach went on to add: "Jack bought in many mechanical mathematical skills that were missing in Sensatech and the results from the project have allowed me to suggest a new sensor to a major automotive company.

I consider the programme a total success and hope to employ Jack part-time in the future".

Step Solutions: Electronic Engineering is open to companies of all sizes.

While projects must have an electronics application or use electronic components, host companies may operate in any industry sector.

Grants provided by the DTI mean that qualifying SMEs can take advantage of additional subsidies towards the cost of taking on an undergraduate from the programme.

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