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17 Jun 2010 08:49:16
There has never been a better time for prospective students to consider a career in engineering.
That’s the view of Professor Carsten Maple, Head of Department of Computing Science and Technology, as the University of Bedfordshire launches a new range of engineering, science and finance degrees.
“Science and technology-based courses are seen as strategically important in pulling the economy out of recession. The good news is that the courses we are offering will allow students to develop the necessary skills and capabilities which employers are crying out for,” said Carsten. “Students will learn to innovatively resolve real-world engineering and science problems and develop key transferable skills, including communication and team-working.”
The new undergraduate courses are BEng (Hons) Computer Systems Engineering and BEng (Hons) Telecommunications and Network Engineering. There are also new BSc (Hons) International Finance and BSc (Hons) Accounting and Finance degrees and a new BSc (Hons) Biological Sciences. There are also a number of new postgraduate courses.
The launch of these new degrees comes as the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) warns that the failure by employers to recruit enough high-calibre candidates from the science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) disciplines could jeopardise the UK’s economic recovery. A recent survey by the CBI revealed that nearly two-thirds of the employers questioned expect to have difficulty filling vacancies for STEM-skilled people over the next three years. That skills gap will make it more difficult for the UK economy to power itself out of the recession the Institute warns.
While there has been a 16 per cent rise in the number of students studying STEM courses over the past five years, total student numbers have risen by 25 per cent in that time. The University of Bedfordshire recognises the need to extend science and technical degrees to a larger number of students.
The University is capitalising on its excellent facilities and highly-qualified academic staff to offer a range of courses that will provide real-world skills and aid employability. Teaching is underpinned by strong research and consultancy work, and links with industry are strongly promoted.
“Computer systems development is, for example, a high-growth area and demand for engineers able to design sophisticated and reliable computer systems is set to be high for the foreseeable future. Telecommunications is another strong business growth area we are looking to address with these courses,” said Dr Paul Sant, Senior Lecturer in Computer Science.
Latest news» 2010» June» New courses recognise importance of engineering
