The University of Bath is inviting local businesses in the south-west to apply to the Graduate Experience Scheme for project help from its graduates and academics.
Firms working in the field of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) have the opportunity to take on a graduate for five months to work on a specific project, with support from an academic at the University.
Potential projects can be drawn from any area of business including marketing, manufacturing and product design, to improve business performance and help company growth.
The graduate will receive full academic supervision during the project and the academic can get involved in other important areas of business. The scheme also provides a payment for the graduate.
The scheme forms part of a one-year masters programme at the University of Bath. Graduates will ideally start the scheme in June and can continue to work on the project when they return to University at the end of their placement.
Companies will be asked to contribute towards the cost of tuition fees and academic supervision.
The scheme was successfully launched last year and engineering consultants Eatec, based in Yate, were one of the first firms to benefit, when University expertise helped to develop a new monitoring and assessment system put to use on Weston’s historic Birnbeck Pier.
Eatec successfully took on a graduate last year (l to r) Brian Jarvis, Director, Howard Richardson postgrad, Jon Avent from Mann Williams and Dr Dina D'Alaya academic adviser to the project
Brian Jarvis, Director of Eatec, said: “The scheme has been tremendously beneficial for us because we’ve been able to pool academic and commercial expertise to produce new technology which is going to have real commercial value.”
Clive Bailey, Knowledge Transfer Partnership Programme Manager at the University said: “This scheme is specifically designed to help local firms while providing graduates with valuable work experience. The input of the academic supervisor gives businesses unique access to academic expertise. For some companies the placement can also prove to be an opportunity to source a future employee.”
To find out more about the scheme please contact Clive Bailey, Knowledge Transfer Partnership Programme Manager, before Friday 12 March, at c.bailey@bath.ac.uk or call 01225 385201.