Academy to support next generation of engineering leaders

An Engineering and Science Leadership Academy aimed at tackling key ‘real-world’ skills gaps among students is being launched by the University of Birmingham. Funded by the ERA Foundation, the academy will equip talented undergraduate and postgraduate students with leadership and entrepreneurship skills, alongside practical industry experience.

The ERA Foundation, established in 2000 as the sole descendant of the UK Electrical Research Association, exists to support UK engineering and manufacturing, innovation, and skills development programmes. It has committed £235,000 to support the Academy over four years. The core aim is to address a perceived shortage in the pipeline of engineering-trained leaders who also possess industry-critical skills necessary to drive innovation and lead complex organisations.

Based on a successful model developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the programme will be delivered in collaboration with industry leaders and professional engineering institutions. Its underlying principle is that it is more effective to teach leadership and business skills to engineers and scientists with technical expertise than to teach technical fluency to non-scientists.

Wealth of opportunity
Sir Alan Rudge, who gained his PhD in Electronic and Electrical Engineering at Birmingham in 1968 and is president of the ERA Foundation, said: “The ERA Foundation’s 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.”

Programme lead Professor Sam Cruchley added: “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.”