A professor at Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) has told Project Scotland that students actively working with industry is key to them progressing both academically and in their future careers.
The comments come after the learning institute was announced as the top-performing Scottish modern university for producing graduates who are in highly skilled occupations 15 months after graduating.
The findings, from the Graduate Outcomes survey, revealed that 83% of GCU graduates are in highly skilled roles, which is above the Scottish sector average.
Professor Mohamed Emad Farrag, of GCU’s department of electrical and electronic engineering, revealed that the university’s teaching strategy actively encourages students to work with industry and then transitions their learnings back into the curriculum to ensure it is creating sector-ready graduates across the board.
“I think it’s a very big challenge,” Professor Farrag said, when asked how tricky it is for scholars to work in industry whilst navigating a degree programme. “But you can accept that challenge and understand that it’s very, very important to have an impact on industry and it relates to how you want to develop your career.”
An annual poster day is held each year at the university, where students present and answer questions on their experiences of working with industry to those in the years below.
“Normally students get more excited by their peers than they do by their lecturer,” Professor Farrag said, telling how GCU also maintains a link with alumni through its industry academic report, which sees graduates in work returning to lay out their journey to current scholars. “These processes are really inspiring to students, and it helps them to know what is available to them in industry.”
Sean Gillespie and Kyle Wilson are two examples of students who swapped a full academic year for hands-on work with SP Energy Networks. Describing the experiences as ‘invaluable’, the electrical and electronic engineering and electrical power engineering students are set to enter their final year at GCU with a wealth of industry contacts and experiences.
“My skillset has come on a fair margin,” Kyle said, while discussing his role in SPEN’s low-voltage support room. “It’s helped me tie in and relate what I’ve learned in my studies as well as helped me understand newer concepts that weren’t taught in university, so it gives me an outside perspective that I can relate back to my studies.”
The role has seen Kyle in charge of reporting faults in the network using data analytics. “I feel as if I have been given a lot of trust in regard to the tasks I’ve been given and also the responsibilities that have been assigned to me.”
Working in SPEN’s protection and control department, Sean revealed that he jumped at GCU’s offer to allow him to go on placement due to his desire to compliment his academic teaching with lessons from those with decades of experience in industry, which he said has added a different dimension to his own skillset.
“The networking and getting used to the protocols of a company that size is invaluable,” Sean said, revealing that he has been working alongside professionals with over 20 years’ experience. “It has allowed me to put my theory into action and adapt what I’ve learned in the classroom – and I think adaptions are needed, because you’re getting a lot of different perspectives, which is so valuable to the learning experience.”
Set to conclude their placements in August, the duo will return to GCU to complete their dissertations which they have the option of dedicating to their time on placement. The placements were secured following a heavy focus on industry work throughout the pair’s time at university, with both saying that they had regular talks from industry professionals about the ‘head start’ having such experience on their CV can allow for once graduated.
Further to this, they were assigned academic mentors who they had access to as and when they wanted whilst on placement.
Commenting on the university topping the Graduate Outcomes table for graduates in highly skilled occupations in Scotland, GCU principal and vice-chancellor, Professor Steve Decent, said, “These results are extremely positive and reflect the university’s really strong links and co-created curriculum with employers in the private, public, and third sectors.”
