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Engineering Education, Resources and Standards
News Release from: Step Enterprise
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 28 October 2005
Programme fosters academic collaboration
ProjectShop is a new initiative, which aims to provide cost effective research solutions for engineering companies by linking them to academic expertise from universities across the UK.
In order to remain competitive, research is a vital element and an ongoing process for most engineering companies across the UK Accessing cutting edge knowledge and skills to support research activity is therefore invaluable
ProjectShop is a new initiative, which aims to provide cost effective research solutions for engineering companies by linking them to academic expertise from universities across the UK.
Originally created by a group of academics from UK universities and led by Dr V M Weerasinghe from the University of East London, ProjectShop is now supported by the DTI and managed by Step Enterprise.
It will be an important addition to the portfolio of services already offered by the company to both students and graduates in connection with the Government's current skills agenda.
ProjectShop is used by many large engineering firms who continue to post projects on the site for dynamic final year students to undertake.
Users include Abacus Automation, Dormer Tools (Sheffield), Silsoe Research Institute, Sortex and Visteon UK.
Additionally, Step Enterprise has proven expertise in offering business solutions to the SME sector, therefore encouraging small businesses to use the site also.
Companies will have to consider whether their projects are viable for students to undertake.
The website will offer guidance in terms of making research proposals academically credible.
Companies will enter the project details on the website.
The projects will be categorised under disciplines and made available for students to view.
Once a student has registered an interest in a particular project, the contact at the company and the student's project co-ordinator are informed.
Contact between the student and the company can only be arranged via the project co-ordinator who will ensure the standard and relevancy of the project to the student's particular area of study.
Step Enterprise will have little involvement after the company and student are in touch.
In summary, ProjectShop provides the facility for engineering undergraduates to source a final year project with a company, which is monitored by a team of academic specialists.
Students benefit from ProjectShop by applying their degree skills to a real work-related technical issue and companies gain from the students' cutting edge knowledge.
Terry Allison Managing Director of Dormer Tools in Sheffield has worked with several undergraduates assigned to the company via ProjectShop.
He said that to date the projects had all been research based and enabled the company to gain relevant understanding of certain machining relationships.
Allison stated: "There are many benefits to such an initiative, including access to external resources at low costs, being able to review potential employees and the promotion of the engineering industry in general to name but a few".
He stressed the importance of building links between engineering companies and university departments because it is in this way that companies gain access to resources that cannot normally be justified within the operation of the business.
The programme also provides universities with first-hand experience of real challenges and problems outside of textbooks, giving them the opportunity to apply their knowledge to achieve innovative solutions.
Manu Bhardwaj, President of the Mechanical Engineering Society at Nottingham University is a supporter of initiatives like ProjectShop.
He quoted: "It is a much needed and long overdue way of bridging the gap between universities and industry".
"It's the perfect vehicle for engineering students to experience working with companies on their final year project and it is a great way for employers to utilise the knowledge and skills of a near-qualified engineer".
"It really is a win-win situation".
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