An internal University of Exeter presentation on HE STEM funded projects (Feb 2012)

1. EMPLOYER ENGAGEMENT
Breaking down the barriers to
collaboration with industry
Abel Nyamapfene & Dawn Evans

2. Project Aims
 To formalise the channels and processes used to communicate and interact
with industry by the university.
 To use these channels and processes to develop more effective and efficient
relationships between the two.
 To share our findings with other HEIs and the STEM community in an
accessible way.

3. Review
 Meetings and interviews were
conducted with a wide range of
individuals, including:
 Academic staff,
FINDINGS SO FAR
 Students,
 Professional services staff, Barriers
within the College of Engineering,
Maths and Physical Sciences and
 Difficulties in communication between HEIs
elsewhere within the university. and industry.
 The responses were analysed and
 Lack of knowledge of industry/HEI needs.
some recurring themes for
 Establishing and maintaining relationships
problems with engagement were over time to maximise benefit is a challenge.
revealed:
 Lack of awareness regarding the
communication channels that already exist
between businesses and institutions.
 It can be difficult to know where to find the
most relevant literature and in some places
the abundance can be overwhelming.

4. CONNECTING PEOPLE
CRM system Brochure
 A customer relationship management  A brochure has been suggested as a way to outline to
system has been suggested as an employers the procedures involved to engage with the
effective way to keep track of ongoing College.
relationships with industry.  It could also be used within the University as a way to
 It was cited as a useful tool to quickly ensure that employers always get directed to the
research interactions with a particular relevant person, no matter who they contact.
company in order to present a professional  Engagement for a project is often seen as difficult to
image to industry. achieve.
 Concerns have been raised over privacy  A brochure should clarify what the different types of
and personal contacts – suggestions have engagement entail, what would be required and what
been made about how to overcome these the benefits are.
issues.  However, it is noted that for employers, an innovative
 Implementation – College-wide or design (e.g. not a traditional paper booklet) would be
institution-wide? Discussions are ongoing necessary to capture their interest.
with staff at all levels to decide how best to  One idea that was suggested by an employer would
move forward with this. be to store all relevant information on a credit card-
shaped memory stick to distribute to employers at
networking events.

5. PROJECTS WITHOUT BORDERS:
UNDERSTANDING HOW
UNDERGRADUATE PROJECTS
DIFFER ACROSS STEM DISCIPLINES
Project Aims
 To improve the quantity and quality of industrial involvement in student projects in the
College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences.
 Discover the specific barriers to engagement for different types of project.
 Research best practice to overcome these barriers, both within the university and in the
available literature.
 Build a guide to enable different types of projects to be compared with these best practice
examples, and to draw on relevant recommendations.
 Ensure that this information is easily accessible

6. STUDENT PROJECTS
Findings so far Barriers
 The majority of students who have had  Discrepancies between project timings and
involvement with industry are positive about industry timings can lead to problems.
their experience. Some reasons include:  Employers are sometimes unsure which
Improved employability year group would be most appropriate for
Good experience their needs.
Enjoyable/something different  Communication between the student,
Learnt new skills academic supervisor and industrial partner
 Established links with industry – through needs to be sustained for the project to be
research etc. – sometimes lead to further successful.
collaboration through student projects.  If employers have a bad experience with a
 Maximising engagement with existing industrial student project, they will be more reluctant to
partners is seen to be very important. engage in future.
 A good relationship with an industrial partner  Intellectual property rights and nondisclosure
can help motivate the student. agreements (or lack of) have caused
problems for many student projects.
 Not all employers see the value in a student
project

7. COMMUNICATION
Communicating with Industry
 As a result of our investigations, we aim to produce
guidance to help universities ensure that engagement
with industry for student projects is effective, no matter
which stage they are at, or the type of project.
 We particularly want to present this information in an
accessible way.
 Much engagement relies on “repeat business” after a
good experience – we hope that our guidance will
minimise the chances of a negative experience.
 Our work will emphasise the importance of clarity and
outlining expectations at every stage of a student
project.
 In short – communication is key!

8. QUESTIONS?