When building long term relationships with employers it is important to try to ensure communications are regular and relevant.  Employers from the Aerospace industry - plus some others to see whether issues are generic or sector-specific - were asked a range of questions about how they currently interact with HEIs and what they would like to see and do to improve these interactions.

Individual interviews (face-to-face or virtual) were held in some cases, whilst meetings such as Industrial Advisory Boards were used to explain current industry-focused activities, with comments arising built into this summary.  Sectors finally included in this review included Mechanical, Electronic and Marine Engineering, Defence, and the Transport sector, as well as Aerospace.

Background

These discussions were by no means unique – such questions have been asked many times before.  However, it was felt to be useful to help enhance current relationships as part of this HE-STEM project activity, and to give industry representatives a chance to raise any specific issues they might have given their particular circumstances during the life span of the project.

What was immediately apparent was that the responses were very similar regardless of the sector from which the interviewees came.  The sector differences in requirements seem to be at the content level in technical or subject-specific topics.  As suspected at the start of the project, the issues arising were generic and relating to relationships rather than technical issues