Surrey, Guildford, UK: Electronic engineering students have been selected from the United Kingdom’s leading universities to be UKESF (UK Electronic Skills Foundation) scholars. They will meet and learn from industry bosses during a five-day course run by the UKESF at the University of Surrey, England.
This inaugural UKESF Summer Workshop aims to help prepare electronic engineering graduates for the workplace. The program is in response to a call from industry for top graduates to enter the jobs market with more than academic skills. A recent Education and Skills Survey by the UK’s Confederation of British Industry (CBI) highlighted a severe shortage in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics graduates. It also cited a lack of workplace experience and employability skills among graduates.
Scholars will undertake professional development sessions to complement academic learning. They will meet with CEOs and senior executives from companies including ARM (Warren East), Imagination Technologies (Tony King-Smith), and C-MAC MicroTechnology (Indro Mukerjee).
Bill Parsons, executive vice president of human resources for ARM, says that “the call for new graduates to be able to hit the ground running when they enter the jobs market is one that has been issued by organisations, such as ARM, in virtually all markets and countries. The UK’s electronics industry clearly has a vested interest in the matter and it’s no surprise that the UK’s electronics leaders are here to support these talented scholars. Indeed, it is imperative that companies are able attract the talent they need to drive development of smart systems, such as digital TVs, tablets and other mobile devices.”
“Electronic engineering is a key enabling technology for economic growth, yet we’ve seen nearly a 50% decline in students entering electronic engineering degrees in just a few years,” says Indro Mukerjee, chair of UKESF Strategic Advisory Board, chair of Semta’s electronics strategy group, and executive chairman, C-MAC MicroTechnology. “We’re working to reverse this decline, and to ensure graduates are better prepared for the exciting and rewarding careers in our industry.”