Left to Right: Professor Sam Cruchley, University of Birmingham; Andrew Everett, CEO, ERA Foundation; Sir Alan Rudge, President, ERA Foundation; Professor Marika Taylor, University of Birmingham; Dr Paul Golby, Board Member, ERA Foundation; Professor Brian Robb, University of Birmingham.
A total of £235,000 over four years has been invested in developing the Engineering and Science Leadership Academy, which will provide talented undergraduate and postgraduate students with the tools they need to become effective leaders and entrepreneurs, and to be equipped with the skills employers require.
Over four years, this program will enable undergraduate and postgraduate students to develop their own entrepreneurial, leadership, and real-world industry skills.
As part of our mission to support the development of the UK’s engineering and manufacturing sectors, to develop new talent, to develop and encourage excellence and entrepreneurship within these sectors; this investment will directly address one of the most pressing shortages of the day, the lack of engineering trained leaders that can drive the innovations required to compete in today’s global market place, as well as manage the increasingly complex organisations that exist today.
The Academy will draw upon the successful model developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for its delivery. The program will involve collaborations with leading industry figures and professional engineering institutions. At the heart of the Academy’s curriculum is the concept that providing engineers and scientists with technical expertise and business and leadership skills results in better outcomes than providing non-scientists with technical fluency.
Commenting on the announcement, Sir Alan Rudge, President of the ERA Foundation and a graduate of the University of Birmingham (PhD Electronic and Electrical Engineering, 1968), stated, “[our] core purpose is to grow and support UK high-tech manufacturing which includes developing new engineering talent and promoting excellence and entrepreneurship throughout the sector. The world-class research and strong industrial links at the University of Birmingham opens a wealth of opportunity and we are excited to see the Academy develop.”
Andrew Everett, CEO of the ERA Foundation, added that “The ERA Foundation understands the value of providing engineers with the leadership skills necessary to enable them to play a key part in the UK’s future economic growth. We are pleased to support this program delivered by the University of Birmingham and are keen to see the impact on the participants as their careers progress.”
Professor Sam Crutchley, Program Lead at the University of Birmingham, commented further, stating: “This Academy will enable us to nurture a new wave of industry-ready leaders. As it becomes established, it will also serve as a model for the UK higher education sector, expanding collaboration opportunities between universities and industrial partners to scale up leadership development across the UK.
Our aim is to help to build a national ecosystem that invests in the next generation of engineering-trained leaders who will shape the future of the UK economy.”
We are pleased to have reached this important step to create skilled engineers for the UK through our partnership with the University of Birmingham; we look forward to the future development of the academy.
