DialogueWLV SUMMER 2015 ISSUE 21
08 THE RE-GENERATION GAME
13 ENGINEERING THE FUTURE
20 HAVE I GOT NEWS FOR YOW
How the University is playing its part in regenerating the city.
The £12m boost to fill the engineering skills gap.
Behind the headlines at the UK’s biggest selling regional newspaper.
SHOW AND TELL Degree Show page 15.
DialogueWLV Welcome Hello and welcome to the Summer 2015 edition of Dialogue WLV. The University is proud of the role it plays in helping to regenerate the region and boost economic growth but it is very much a partnership approach. In this edition we find out about not only some of our own investment and regeneration plans but also some of our city partners in Wolverhampton.
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The shortage of skilled engineers is something that has been well documented in recent years and we look at the role the University intends to play in helping address the problem with a little help from our own motor racing team. We also look at what it takes to produce the headlines with an interesting insight into life at the Express and Star newspaper. The University has worked closely with the paper on a number of partnership projects in the last two years.
03 IN THE NEWS – whistle-stop tour of University headlines. 05 WHOWHATWHEREWHENWHYHOW – are the questions and we give you this edition’s answers.
07 FROM AtoB – Dialogue WLV’s resident columnist Dr Aidan Byrne’s view
on the world.
There was some amazing and inspiring work on view at this year’s Faculty of Arts Degree Show, which is featured in this edition. As well as the annual exhibition to the public, we also stage the Graduate Fashion Show, which as always created a great buzz.
part in regenerating the city.
Finally, we look at the world of sport and how we are developing our facilities, courses and participation levels at the University so we can compete with the best.
Faculty of Arts degree show.
It is always great to see the work of our students and their successes. I’m pleased to say this issue is packed with them. I hope you enjoy the read,
08 THE RE-GENERATION GAME – how the University is playing its 13 ENGINEERING THE FUTURE – the £12m boost to fill the engineering skills gap.
15 SHOW AND TELL – we look at some highlights from the end of year 20 HAVE I GOT NEWS FOR YOW – Dialogue WLV delves behind the headlines at the UK’s biggest selling regional newspaper.
24 A PASSION FOR FASHION – hot lines from the Graduate Fashion Show catwalk.
27 TEAM WOLVERHAMPTON – the future’s looking bright for sport
at the University.
29 IN PICTURES – captures the people, events and happenings from across the University.
Geoff Layer Vice-Chancellor, University of Wolverhampton
Front cover image from the end of year Faculty of Arts degree show: Katarzyna Wozniak
IN THIS ISSUE...
13 04 FAMOUS FOR 15 MINUTES
27 TEAM WOLVERHAMPTON
29 IN PICTURES
Professor Mike Haynes on flirtations with the national media
Plotting sporting success on and off the field
See if you’re in the frame from one of the University’s events
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Inthenews... 01 Just the Business Businesses across the region gathered together to celebrate the University’s Business Achievement Awards. From graduate start-up companies to big name firms, outstanding contributions at all levels were recognised at the event at Molineux in July, at what was the second time the awards had been staged. Business Innovation of the Year was won by Odour Services International while Enterprise-Rent-Car was named Graduate Employer of the Year. Wolves FC took a home victory with the award for Strategic Business Partner of the Year and Ian Powell of PWC won Alumnus of the Year: Leadership. Lisa Potts-Webb was Alumnus of the Year: Contribution to Society and Leirom Puno was named Graduate Employee of the Year. Guests at the event had the casting vote for the Graduate Start-up of the Year award which was won by Lucy Taylor of Sensory Wise Ltd. As well as a BAA trophy, Lucy also received £2,000 in cash and £1,000 worth of consultancy.
02 Wolverhampton graduates highly employable The number of students from the University of Wolverhampton obtaining jobs or going onto further study following graduation is at record levels. The Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE) Survey is a national audit of everyone who has recently graduated from university or HE college in the UK. Each year universities, on behalf of the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), contact graduates six months after they have completed their studies to find out their employment status. Overall, 95 per cent of students who graduated from the University of Wolverhampton in 2014 were in work or further study after they had left - outperforming the UK average for all universities. The results highlighted that the regional economy is also being supported with 81 per cent of Wolverhampton graduates working in the West Midlands and 66 per cent going on to work in graduate level jobs (professional/managerial) earning graduate level salaries. According to the survey, 65 per cent of our graduates reported earnings of between £15,000 and £29,999 while 12 per cent reported that they were earning salaries of between £30,000 and £59,999.
03 Students boost local charities Business students from the University of Wolverhampton raised more than £20,000 for charity as part of a course module on Enterprise, Creativity and Innovations.
Around 200 students in their second year spent seven weeks planning ideas and putting into practice their ideas about how to raise money. All the students’ hard work paid off when their total amount reached £23,000. The money was shared between four local charities. The Steve Bull Foundation received £9,000, Acorn’s Children Hospice £6,000, Compton Hospice £5,000 and St Anthony’s Care Home nearly £2,000. Fundraising activities included sponsored cycles, gym challenges, music events and a masked ball; all these ideas were thought up by the students as a way to attract public interest and help raise as much money as possible. The fundraising event ended at Wolverhampton Racecourse, where the money was handed over to the delighted charities.
04 Chancellor Lord Paul gifts the University with £1m
The University of Wolverhampton has received an overwhelming £1m donation from the Chancellor, the Rt. Hon. Lord Paul of Marylebone PC; the largest ever gift received in its history. The gift was made by The Ambika Paul Foundation, a charitable trust set up in memory of Lord Paul’s daughter. The donation by Lord Paul will provide an enhanced learning experience for students who attend the University for years to come. “The Ambika Paul Foundation has one very specific mission: to enhance the lives of the next generation through education, culture and health.”
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05 New fund to boost regional economy
A new £4.2 million University of Wolverhampton fund has been launched to help create hundreds of jobs and promote growth. Funded by the Regional Growth Fund, the Green Shoots Plus scheme will support small to medium enterprises (SMEs). Run in association with the Express and Star, Shropshire Star and Hereford Times, it aims to create nearly 400 jobs over two years. Grants of between £10,000-£150,000 will be available for businesses to bid for from the Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall, Wolverhampton, Herefordshire, Telford and Wrekin, Shropshire, South Staffordshire and Stafford local authority areas. Businesses from certain key sectors will be able to bid for funding, with support targeted at those identified as having most potential for growth and economic impact, including: advanced manufacturing; business to business services; and building, transport and environmental technologies. The scheme follows on from the hugely successful Green Shoots scheme which paid out grants of £1.2 million to support SMEs in the Black Country.
Famous for 15 minutes - almost Mike Haynes,
Professor of International Political Economy
“In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes.” I almost was. But the balloon burst. I blame the BBC economics correspondent Robert Peston, and Radio Four’s the Today programme. They offered hope and then took it away. As a university professor, you write articles in academic journals. But it takes years to get other academics to read them and the public don’t care. You have a little more hope with books. I have done five. But books are like babies – your own seem beautiful but others don’t always share that opinion. So that is how I hit on media ‘think’ pieces. And internet journalism is where we are told we need to be. I pitched my idea to The Conversation website. It was about how a hand car wash is a symbol of everything that’s wrong with the British economy. The editor of the website said that’s a brilliant analogy. I know – you think it’s a great idea too. Writing 800 words is harder than you think. It’s like writing a poem. Mine was launched at 6.30 one morning. When I checked an hour later, it had been noticed. Reader numbers were rising – to several hundred. Then the phone rang. “Is that the Professor Mike Haynes who wrote that piece about car washes?” Err - yes. “Well this is BBC Radio 2 and the Jeremy Vine Show. We think it’s brilliant. Everyone in the office is discussing it. Could you appear on Jeremy’s show at 12 o’clock?” Wow yes. “We will probably get the BBC economics Robert Peston to comment. (He is the one with the amazing voice).” Yessssss! Reader numbers are rising even more. But I notice I am not the first one to write for this website. My University of Wolverhampton colleagues, Gerald Griggs in sports and Professors Roger Seifert and Andy Lane, are ahead of me. And then there is Wolverhampton psychology professor - Coral Dando. She wrote a piece on airport security that more than 20,000 people have accessed. I am still only at 1,500. But Robert Peston has tweeted my article and he has 500k followers. Watch out Dando. Then I am on Jeremy Vine speaking to every hairdressers that has Radio 2 playing. And there is Robert Peston – true, he is in another studio a hundred miles away but he says that I am right and he has called me Mike twice. When I get home, it’s the BBC again. “How would you like to be on the Today programme on BBC Radio 4?” I am almost there and the number of readers is still rising. I have overtaken them all except for Professor Dando. She is still out ahead. But with Robert Peston on my side and the Today programme, she had better watch out. Then it all went wrong. “Dear Mike” said the email. “I am really sorry but the producers have decided to pull the car wash piece ...” And ouch, those numbers of readers are rising too slowly. Damn you, Robert Peston. You have half a million followers but why aren’t they following your recommendations? And now my piece is getting comments. But what I wrote was so clear and simple, why are so are many missing the point? It’s late. I have hit 3,000 readers. Coral Dando is still way out there in the distance. It is not happening. I am not going to catch her. But, as Arnold Schwarzenegger once said, “I’ll be back.”
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whowherewhatwhy WHO?
George Clarke You may know him better as the North-East presenter of Channel 4 programmes such as Grand Designs, Amazing Spaces, The Home Show, The Restoration Man and Shed of the Year. George is also an architect and creative director of architectural practice at George Clarke + Partners, and this September will be receiving an honorary degree from the University for his services to the built environment.
WHERE?
WHAT?
The University will open its award-winning business support service at the heart of Hereford’s Enterprise Zone.
The University celebrated its rich artistic heritage and welcomed a new era of arts at a special event in the summer. Figures from the art world and local dignitaries gathered for the official launch of the Wolverhampton School of Art, a new vision for art and design in the city.
Hereford Business Solutions Centre
The event included the unveiling of new signage, guided tours of facilities and a piano recital.
Hereford – Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ian Oakes, at the site of new Business Solutions Centre in Hereford
Following agreements with the Hereford Enterprise Zone, a Business Solutions Centre will be set up at the 100 acre Skylon Park, which was awarded enterprise zone status in 2011.
George also enjoys lecturing and is passionate about the way architecture can transform our everyday lives; his aim is to make architecture popular and accessible to everyone. He is an ambassador for Shelter, Maggie’s Centres, The Prince’s Foundation for Building Community and City & Country Group – one of the UK’s leading restoration specialists. He’s also a big Sunderland fan. The Faculty of Science and Engineering will be awarding George the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Technology following years of hard work, graft and evident passion for the subject of architecture.
Wolverhampton School of Art - Established 1851
The School of Art’s roots lie in the establishment of provincial schools of art and design which were spurred on by the Great Exhibition of 1851. Early pioneer George Wallis was a Wolverhampton teacher and artist with a lifelong interest in art education who became a deputy commissioner for the Great Exhibition.
The centre will provide a range of activities and services to businesses in the area including delivering the Regional Growth Fund backed by Greenshoots grant funding, Knowledge Transfer Partnerships, development of a business start-up programme , delivery of Continuous Professional Development programmes and consultancy services. It will also establish a business network for businesses in the Enterprise Zone and provide a range of skills and technology development workshops plus a hot-desking facility for businesses.
House of Lords - Dean of Students, Jon Elsmore with the Mayors and Mayoresses of Wolverhampton and Sandwell (centre) and Director of HR, Steph Harris
Dr John Pymm, Dean of the Faculty of Arts, said that the vision is to shape the future of the arts and creative industries in contemporary society. Plans for the School were first unveiled at a University of Wolverhampton event held at the House of Lords to celebrate the University’s artistic heritage.
whenhow WHY?
We need to work on spotting suspicious signs A study found that airport security staff caught ‘mock’ airline passengers with deceptive cover stories more than 20 times as often as those who examined body language for suspicious signs. In experiments spanning eight months, security agents at eight international airports in Europe detected dishonesty in 66 per cent of the deceptive mock passengers using the new screening method. This compared to just three per cent for agents who observed signs thought to be associated with deception, including lack of eye contact, fidgeting and nervousness. The study, funded in part by the British government, was published by The American Psychological Association and carried out by Dr Coral Dando, a Psychology Professor at the University of Wolverhampton and former London police officer, along with Professor Thomas Ormerod, head of the School of Psychology at the University of Sussex. The suspicious-signs screening method is widely used in airports in the United States, United Kingdom and many other countries. Researchers recruited 204 mock passengers (113 male, 91 female), including college acting students and undercover police detectives. The Controlled Cognitive Engagement technique requires greater focus by security agents, who must think of different questions, using an incremental
structured questioning approach; this is in contrast to simply repeating scripted questions about luggage or travel plans as advocated by the suspicious-signs method, which the study noted could be rehearsed by criminals seeking to avoid detection.
WHEN?
The new Business School opening
The University of Wolverhampton Business School’s new £18 million building will open in the autumn. The six-storey centre will house an executive education suite, innovative teaching and learning spaces, an IT suite, consulting rooms, and a central social space and café. Following on from more than 80 years of providing business education in the city, the new building aims to reflect the University of Wolverhampton Business School’s growing reputation and engagement with the business community in the region. It has been announced that the new building will be named the Lord Swraj Paul building, after the University’s Chancellor Lord Paul of Marylebone. The new building is to open its doors to students for the first time in October 2015.
HOW?
Hi-tech labs revolutionise science education at the University The brand new £22 million Rosalind Franklin Science Centre has enabled students to benefit from a flexible and innovative approach to learning within its pioneering hi-tech labs. The University has been working with Dell to provide the new Dell Venue 11 Pro tablets in the laboratories of the new building enabling it to become one of the first UK universities to use high numbers of specifically built mobile technology in a science environment. Lecture Capture technology enables academics to be live streamed, with multi camera angles, so even if a student is not physically in the room, they can watch a lecture live. It has already captured 100 hours of lecture footage, with more than 1,000 hours of viewing time by students. The building also provides an innovative electronic lab notebook to students, which acts as a web-based alternative to a traditional paper notepad. Designed with science in mind, it allows for annotations and easy note sharing. In addition, procurement of the industry’s most technically advanced Laboratory Information Management System from LabWare is progressing. Customers of this solution are typically blue chip clients in the pharmaceutical, bio-chemical, oil and gas industries. The ring delivers the drug disulfiram direct to the cervix in a controlled and sustained manner, potentially reducing the need for surgical intervention and providing a novel anti-cancer therapy for women.
Dr Aidan Byrne Senior Lecturer in English, Media and Cultural Studies
FromAtoB make us
Some years ago, the Daily Telegraph ran a click-bait style piece entitled ‘Five of the Worst BBC3 Programmes’. For the sake of posterity, they picked Coming of Age, Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps, Tittybangbang (‘Awful, all-female sketch show’), Danny Dyer: I Believe in UFOs and Little Miss Jocelyn whose crimes seem to include being young, female and black. Some, perhaps all of these shows might be your idea of hell, and no doubt readers of Dialogue WLV also tend to shudder at the thought of a night in front of Snog, Marry, Avoid or Dog Borstal. And fair enough. Being a white middle-class 40 year-old, Radio 1 makes me want to cut off my ears rather than endure a second’s more ‘banter’ and self-promotion by one of their interchangeable smug DJs. And yet… I once listened to nothing but Radio 1. John Peel, Steve Lamacq’s Evening Session, Mark and Lard in the afternoon. The commercial stations didn’t play the kind of thing I liked, and I’m allergic to advertising. As I aged, Radio 1 fulfilled its requirement to cater for a younger demographic, but I still had Radio 3 (at least Late Junction: the rest of it seems to consist of overly familiar music from adverts), Radio 4 (except for the damned Archers) and eventually 6Music. My tastes in TV changed too: where once I watched little but science fiction, Westerns and smart-arse American cartoons, I became addicted to The Wire (BBC2), Newsnight (BBC2) and New Tricks (BBC1). I shout at the TV and radio quite a lot, because I think that the BBC has a markedly conservative tendency at the moment, but as long as the other half of the population is shouting at it because it’s full of lefties, it’s probably getting things about right. And now the Culture Secretary wants to strip the BBC back to making programmes that ‘the market’ won’t make. The BBC, he declares, should stop making popular and populist shows that ITV or Channel 5 or (and I suspect this is the major point) Sky could do. The Voice has been mentioned, amongst that plethora of talent shows. What it should do, he thinks, is produce the unprofitable shows that are good for us. No doubt he means wall-to-wall Question Time, Antiques Roadshow, Songs of Praise, gardening programmes and property speculation shows designed to
Aidan Byrne
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view the panoply of human life solely in monetary terms. Essentially, the new government wants a BBC which panders solely to the tastes of rich, white, conservative, southern people, especially men. Women, ethnic minorities, Welsh-speakers, homosexuals and liberals should try their luck in the fabled ‘market’. Children too can get lost. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but children’s TV has largely disappeared from the commercial airwaves: hampered by pesky regulations about not advertising sugary drinks and foods means that there’s no money in it. What little kids’ TV there is tends to be cheap rubbish designed to sell toys. Only the BBC – thanks to its public service broadcasting requirement – provides high-quality children’s programming, often with an educational bent. News, too, is under threat: imagine running a report on aircraft safety, for instance, if you depend on Ryanair adverts, or on hidden sugars when you know that Coca-Cola is one of your major clients? The attack on the BBC is an attack on the idea of universality. You and I might hate every programme on BBC3, but that’s OK: it’s audience might hate everything we watch. We all pay the licence fee (in theory) and part of the public service ethos is that all our needs are served equally. I pay for Dog Borstal and Dog Borstal fans pay for University Challenge. Viewers of Dog Borstal and University keep paying, and might even watch the other’s types of show. In the brave new world of subscription-funded broadcasting, those with cash will get the programming they want; the rest may as well go for a walk. John Whittingdale objects to The Voice because he thinks the BBC shouldn’t make shows replicating what the commercial channels are doing. While the rash of talent shows may be annoying, he perhaps forgets that most TV formats are trialled on licence-funded channels, where ratings are slightly less important than quality. What seems tediously familiar now was once innovative. Take Mad Men, for instance. Made by an American commercial station, only BBC2 took a chance on it in the UK. Once it was
a critical hit, Sky swooped in to outbid the BBC for later series: the BBC built the audience up, and Sky took the credit (though not the viewers, interestingly). Whittingdale also forgets that popular hits pay for expensive, unpopular but important shows. No Top Gear, Sherlock and Doctor Who, selling around the world, no Newsnight or Desert Island Discs. Nor, I would add, any highly trained directors, producers, engineers, actors, editors and sound recordists: the commercial sector is subsidised by the BBC’s world-class training programme. Infuriating though it often is, the BBC represents the very best of British culture. It believes in equality of representation, universality, and that very old-fashioned concept, ‘public service’. Without a broadcaster committed to serving us all uninfluenced by the profit motive or chasing ratings, we are all poorer. The same model is being applied to education, by the way.
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The Re-Generation Game With major developments taking shape, Wolverhampton is a city on the up. Emma Pugh looks at how University plans will have a significant impact on the region’s future.
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The University of Wolverhampton’s recent announcement that it is to invest £250m in future growth has been hailed as a huge statement of confidence in the region.
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The plan is its most ambitious to date. Our Vision, Your Opportunity is a clear indication that this thriving institution is committed to enhancing the student experience and developing the area it serves. This ‘once in a lifetime’ investment isn’t just about changing the city skyline; it’s about raising aspirations, upskilling the population and driving economic development. New buildings, courses, learning and teaching, research, skills and training are all covered by the five-year proposals. The University is also looking to create new academic subject areas, invest further in research and support more start-ups. Physically, some of the outcomes are already visible – the new £18 million Business School, a flagship project already agreed as part of the plan, is due to open later this year. Work has also begun on the £65 million jointly-funded redevelopment of the Springfield Brewery site in the city, to create a construction and built environment super-campus. There’s also a £12 million investment into engineering courses and facilities in Telford. But it’s what happens inside these buildings and using these facilities that will have the most significant impact. The University is creating industry-ready students with the skills, enthusiasm and positive attitude required to meet the
needs of employers. Professor Geoff Layer, Vice-Chancellor, said: “As a University, we are in a position of unparalleled strength. “We have more students than ever, with more gaining degrees, our research is at its highest ever-level with all areas having world class aspects, our business engagement is at its highest ever level, graduate employment rates booming at 95%, and our learning and teaching has been praised and commended by the Quality Assurance Agency. “We see this as a once in a lifetime opportunity to invest and grow. We are confident and serious about the future and these are ambitious plans but this is also a considered approach. “The University very much sees itself playing a pivotal role in the region, as an anchor institution shaping economic development. We will be working closely with partners within local authorities and local enterprise partnerships (LEPs) to make sure we maximise the investment potential we have. “This is tremendous for the area and also for our staff and students and we want it to help raise the aspirations of the whole region.” Stewart Towe, Chair of the Black Country LEP, welcomed the news: “The University of Wolverhampton’s £250 million investment plan is a vote of confidence in the Black
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A changing city Councillor John Reynolds, Cabinet Member of City Economy, is delighted by the University’s commitment to invest in Wolverhampton. He discusses other plans to revitalise the city and how working in partnership with the University is vital for its future success. As a born and bred Wolverhampton resident, Councillor Reynolds is passionate about the city he now serves. He took up his new City Economy role in May and is excited by the opportunities and changes taking shape. Councillor Reynolds is determined to help raise the profile of Wolverhampton and ensure that it gains the recognition and investment it deserves. “When people come here they are pleasantly surprised,” he said. “There are a lot of attractions, lots going on, and people from outside the area don’t seem to realise how much is on offer.” The council is hoping to pull in thousands more visitors to attractions such as Bantock House, Wolverhampton Art Gallery and Bilston Craft Gallery. And there are some major projects lined up for Wolverhampton, complementing the University’s plans. Over £174 million public and private investment is being ploughed into the city centre in the next 12 months helping to stimulate economic growth and increase employment opportunities, part of ongoing investment which could total £700 million over the next few years. Work includes major expansion of the Civic Hall’s concert venues, refurbishment of the Grand Theatre, more than £30 million to be spent
upgrading the Mander Shopping Centre, a new headquarters for brewing and pubs group Marston’s, a new railway station and multi-storey car park, and the redevelopment of the former Sunbeam factory into homes.
employers need.” He praised the University for not just providing students with the business skills needed but also technical and personal skills.
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In addition, the Interchange 10 (i10) building is nearing completion. This will provide the only top grade office accommodation in the city and is a key component in the council’s £10.6 million office, retail and leisure development.
“Businesses want to relocate to Wolverhampton but they want quality accommodation so the council took the bold move of taking out capital expenditure to invest,” said Councillor Reynolds.
Councillor Reynolds
‘‘
I hear a lot about how students from the University of Wolverhampton are excellent with team building, problem solving and presentations.
‘‘
Country’s economic future and the Black Country LEP looks forward to working in partnership with the University to maximise the growth potential of this investment.”
Students are trained to a high technical standard in subjects that industry demands.
“Attracting good quality tenants will attract good quality investment into the city and bring in spending power.”
Councillor Reynolds himself is a visiting lecturer for the University and is impressed by the enthusiasm of students.
He acknowledges that there is much work to be done - people coming into the city from other areas want a stronger retail offering, there is a need for more city centre leisure facilities and more catering outlets for families.
“I have had some superb seminars with students who take a real interest and will make a big difference.
Councillor Reynolds said he was aware that some visitors and business people stay in Birmingham when visiting the city so there needs to be better central accommodation, as well as awareness of its Michelin-rated restaurant, pop art gallery and entertainment venues. He also believes that key to the future success of the region is investment in its people, and ensuring children are given aspirations to further their education and gain employment in the region. “Wolverhampton has a good job density but there are issues with the low skills base of many of its residents so they don’t always secure the roles,” he said. “The council, like the University, has a mission to widen participation and raise aspiration – shortening the skills gap and providing what
“They are often surprised to hear about our successful industrial past. We need to build on this heritage and develop a positive industrial future.” This industrial future incorporates Aerospace, Jaguar Land Rover and the relocation of Wiggle bikes to a new, state-of-theart Citadel distribution centre in Wolverhampton. Companies like these are creating more opportunities and contributing to the economic growth of the region. In addition, there is a strong creative industries element, particularly at the University of Wolverhampton Science Park, and many graduates are setting up their own businesses. “If students are shown the opportunities here, we can encourage them to stay in the region and contribute to its successful future,” says Councillor Reynolds. “They will play a vital part in regeneration.”
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In the UK it is estimated that there will be a shortfall of around 200,000 qualified engineers by 2020. As part of its commitment to providing industry related courses, the University of Wolverhampton plans to invest £12 million in courses and facilities to create the next generation of engineers. Vickie Warren reports.
Engineering the future For a motorsport enthusiast, getting to work on a genuine race car is a dream come true. Add in being part of the team racing the car at world famous venues such as Silverstone and Brands Hatch, and they’re in seventh heaven. The University of Wolverhampton has bought a Formula Renault racing car, and while students don’t actually get behind the wheel, preparing the car for competitive races provides valuable, exciting hands-on involvement in a live project, as part of their course.
The majority of the University’s investment will go into transforming part of the Telford Innovation Campus and providing specialist equipment for the new courses, with additional investment in facilities for chemical engineering at the City Campus in Wolverhampton. This will include creating a design and visualisation facility, engine test facilities, 3D printing facilities and laboratories dedicated to electronics and telecommunications, metrology and materials testing.
The University is spending £12 million on engineering facilities and courses as part of its ambitious £250 million Our Vision, Your Opportunity programme, which seeks to invest in education, training and to support economic growth. Engineering has a long history in the Black Country, and the industry is expanding with significant developments such as the Jaguar Land Rover Engine Manufacturing Centre at the i54 Business Park in Wolverhampton. The University is putting its graduates at the forefront of these developments.
New courses will be offered in the areas of automotive and motorsport engineering, chemical engineering and electronic and telecommunications engineering for 2015-16, followed by the introduction of food engineering and aerospace engineering in 2016-17.
“Engineering is typified by an ageing workforce, and for some time the subject has not been an attractive profession for school leavers. This is at a time when there is growth in the engineering industry, meaning we are looking at a massive shortfall of around 200,000 qualified engineers by 2020.”
Director of engineering, Dr Paul Lister, explains: “The reason we are investing in engineering is to underpin the economic growth within the region with graduates that are ready for the world of work. Whilst we are obviously keen
The new facilities will be selected for their relevance to industry, allowing students to gain the best experience possible while at University. They will also enhance links with businesses, which will use the state-of-the-art
to do this on a national level, we want to ensure there is a strong engineering offer in the West Midlands, including Shropshire. “We have always offered mechanical engineering, mechatronics and electronics and communications, but we recognise that aerospace and automotive engineering are high value manufacturing industries where there is even more potential for significant growth.
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equipment as part of the University’s commitment to innovation and entrepreneurship. Professor Ian Oakes, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, says: “This is very much an investment supporting the regeneration and growth of the regional and national economy. It builds on the region’s existing heritage and expertise in advanced manufacturing and engineering.” New facilities will include a Formula 1 specification wind tunnel, which has attracted a great deal of interest since the plans were announced. The wind tunnel, used to study the effects of air moving past solid objects, will support the University’s research and consultancy activity. Paul emphasises that it will also be embedded as a core area of study in the engineering curriculum. Already attracting interest both inside and outside the University is the Formula Renault Race car, which has been taking part in competitive races since March. Driven by professional driver Shane Kelly, driver on hit films Rush and Fury, the University of Wolverhampton Racing (UWR) team
has got off to a flying start. “The first season is going unbelievably well,” Paul Lister explains. “In our second race, we finished third out of a starting grid of 54. We were competing against much more experienced teams, so to get a podium position is fantastic.” This was followed up by a prized first place when the team raced at the home of the British F1 Grand Prix: Silverstone. David Tucker, principal lecturer in mechanical engineering at the University, heads up the team. He said: “We’ve been building up to this moment with the students since October and it is so satisfying to win and a fantastic experience for the team. “We’re giving them real-world access to motorsport. There aren’t many motorsport courses at universities where students get to be part of an actual race team. We aren’t just talking about motorsport, we’re doing it and we’re having lots of interest in the new
courses. We want the University of Wolverhampton to be seen as the place to go for motorsport.” But what can students expect when they study engineering at the University of Wolverhampton? Paul Lister explains: “They can expect to have access to the very latest specialist equipment and combine theory with practice for a well-rounded engineering education. There will also be the opportunity to engage in extra-curricular activities which significantly enhance their employability, such as the Formula Renault Racing Team and the Human Powered Flight Club. These activities are fun, but they are linked to the practical application of engineering theory.” By making this significant investment into creating enhanced engineering provision and expanded facilities, the University of Wolverhampton is demonstrating its commitment to bridging the skills gap and producing the next generation of qualified engineers.
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Image: Mike Gaunt
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Show and tell
From the wondrous to the strange, art and design students at the University have been creating thought-provoking work for the end of year degree shows since 1969. This year, more than 300 students from 16 courses displayed their work to the public during a week-long celebration encompassing applied arts, digital media, fashion and textiles, fine art, graphic communication, illustration, interior design, photography and product design. Image: Daniel McClane
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Image: Sam Maybin
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Image: Tim Bosworth
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Have I got news for yow It’s been making headlines since 1874 and the Express and Star is still going strong today. But in the digital age what does the future hold for regional newspapers? James Allen went behind the scenes at Britain’s biggest selling regional newspaper to find out what makes the news.
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Sat in the reception area of the Express and Star in Wolverhampton’s Queen Street, I was reminded of the fact that local newspapers are more than just what’s on the front page. As I skim read that morning’s edition, a couple placed a bereavement notice, another chap booked an advert for a gardening service, two men engaged in an animated conversation while pouring through back issues of the paper and an elderly lady perused coach trip details. Newspapers are used to having to adapt and diversify. Many doomsday media commentators forecast that newspapers, especially regional newspapers, had had their day with the advent of the Internet. Granted, there has been a consolidation when it comes to regional newspapers. There are less staff in both editorial and sales, print works have been centralised, editions cut, much production moved to overnight, and ownership concentrated – four companies owning the majority of UK regional titles: Trinity Mirror, Johnstone Press, Newsquest and Local World. But after uncertain forays into the online jungle, newspapers seem to be finding their feet when it comes to harnessing the digital beast. While print sales are in decline, online audiences are fast on the rise, which also means ad revenues also rising. Against this backdrop then it may be surprising to some that a family owned regional paper covering the Black Country and South Staffordshire carries the honour of being Britain’s biggest selling regional. It was founded in Wolverhampton in the 1880s by the Scottish-American millionaire Andrew Carnegie and a group of radical Liberal Party members, including Thomas Graham.
Diane Davies, Deputy Editor “We have had to change and adapt as well as everyone else in the industry. There is less advertising about – we used to have large amounts in jobs and property but this has moved from print to online so we had to look at other revenue streams. “We have more local news than ever before. We used to place a greater emphasis on national news but know that people will get this during the day from a variety of other sources. Our unique selling point is that we are local and people who want local news come to us. “We break news digitally then follow it up in the paper. In a lot of ways, it’s been about going back to our roots. We’ve had to change how we move stories on and look for a fresh line, but in many ways print feeds the digital and vice-versa.” New technology has changed the media as an industry. We are now only a click or swipe away from an eternal sequence of breaking news and eyewitness testimony – but this also means that the media aren’t the only ones broadcasting. Diane explains: “It’s a lot harder to keep an exclusive in the age of web and social media. Emergency services, public bodies and businesses all want to break their own news – they almost see us as rivals. “As such, the job of a journalist has changed with the technology. Technology has opened up a lot of positive avenues, a lot of additional help in terms of search engines, reference material, and content and comments through social media, but it has also brought challenges in how we harness and capture it all.
Carnegie’s aim was to campaign, through a string of regional daily newspapers, for the creation of a British Republic, sacking the monarchy, scrapping the House of Lords and destroying every vestige of privilege in the land.
“A younger audience wants to read online through mobiles or devices while older readers still want a newspaper. Although paper sales are declining, I always think there will be a place for them. We still generate lots of interest, we’re still the biggest selling regional and sell 70,000-plus a day, and I think a lot of it’s down to the geography and the communities we serve, we have lots of villages and towns as well as the city.”
By 1902, Carnegie had abandoned his mission and the newspaper has been owned by the Graham family ever since.
The paper’s digital figures are on the rise: users are up 60 per cent, it has more than 60,000 Twitter followers and two million unique users.
Today it is part of the family’s Midland News Association, which also owns the Shropshire Star, both the Jersey Evening Post and Guernsey Press, and a series of weekly and magazine titles in the West Midlands and Shropshire. At its height, the Express and Star had a daily circulation of 174,000 but today sells around 77,000 copies a day, 10,000 more than nearest rivals the Manchester Evening News, producing five editions covering Wolverhampton, Walsall, Sandwell, Staffordshire and Dudley. Last year it became one of the last remaining regional dailies to move to overnight production - redefining its edition structure and scrapping its on-the-day final edition which was finished at lunchtime and on the streets for the early afternoon.
“There is no distinct model that the industry seems to have settled on yet when it comes to digital,” says Diane. “Where there is a demand, people can ask for payment. Over in the US, that is the main model and it works there. Part of our group is currently trialling a paywall model in the Channel Island and we’ll see what comes of that.” Ultimately, any newspaper or website is judged by the quality of its content. “We’re local, part of the community. No-one does what we do covering councils, courts, inquests, events and sport – if it’s happening then usually we’re covering it. We’ve embraced the digital changes and look at the best of both worlds. There’s a lot of pride in what we do. “There have been some difficult times in the industry, we’ve lost staff along the way like many other titles but we’ve still got a very strong team and that is reflected in our circulation and our product. We think it speaks for itself.”
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Richard Harris, Deputy Picture Editor/ Photographer Richard has been with the paper for 10 years and the biggest challenge for news photographers is often juggling workloads. As part of Richard’s job on the picture desk, he helps manage the diary which involves organising what jobs are being covered, by who and at what time. Richard said: “You’ve got to get a great shot –
Maria Cusine, News Editor
on top of it and they are asking the right questions and considering factors like photographs, social media and online.
Maria is in her 21st year having worked for 10 years at sister title the Shropshire Star and the last 11 at the Express and Star. Her current role is one of the paper’s news editors, where she mainly looks after the Dudley and Sandwell editions. Starting in 1994 as a trainee, she has seen many changes to how newspapers run. She said: “It’s totally different to when I started. The biggest change of course is the technology and the immediacy of things. When I first started reporting, people didn’t even have email and you’d ring in your copy from a payphone. You’d have to be out and about a lot more meeting people. “In my current role, I work with the reporters to develop their stories. Communication is a vital part of this process, we are always talking to them and making sure they are
Rachael Harrison, Deputy Chief Sub-Editor Rachel describes her role as being like the “last line of defence.” Subs draw up the pages and are the final checkpoint. She said: “Subs are like the caretaker of their
which can sometimes be challenging depending on who or what you are dealing with. When someone opens up a page the picture is the first thing they see – it’s got to capture their imagination. You’ve got to be creative and be able to think on your feet. With the advent of technology we are also looking to shoot videos too for the website. You really need an eye for a picture. “I still get a great sense of pride in seeing my work published every day. The best pictures can come from places you least expect or from totally innocent situations. I still get that adrenaline rush when you are out there up against the clock – that sort of challenge drives you on.”
the page for the sub-editors to look at. “One of the biggest stories we’ve worked on recently was the shootings in Tunisia. I don’t think I’ll forget it. The paper was pretty much finished for the next day and a call came in saying that one of the British tourists killed was a senior member of staff at Sandwell Council and his family. “Of course we then set about trying to get this confirmed and stood up as it was a massive international story and it looked like we had people from the area tragically killed in it. We were able to, and broke the news before anyone else. It was a huge story and vital we got it right. When you’re working on stories like that, everyone pulls the stops out and works together. There is always a big buzz in the newsroom with all the frantic activity.
“Once the reporter has filed the story we will look at it, make sure it’s legally sound, check it for spelling, grammar, style and sense check it – make sure it doesn’t leave any unanswered questions. Then we’ll drop it on
pages. They are responsible for its look and the headline and make sure it all fits together with the booked in adverts. It’s vital to have local knowledge like knowing street names and areas. It’s a thing that readers are very hot on if you get it wrong. It matters to them and so it matters to us. We take great pride in what we do. “We’re often the hidden face of the newspaper but being responsible for the
Mike Woods, Digital Content Editor Mike has been with the group for 14 years from trainee reporter through to the newsdesk. Now he’s responsible for overseeing the paper’s digital arm. He said: “Certain content does a lot better like pictures or dramatic video. Through social media, we find that people are willing to share and there’s a lot more in the way of two-way conversation. It can help shape what we do. People tend to be very vocal which can result in follow up stories based around views from readers.
“I can’t imagine doing anything else, it becomes a bit of an addiction. I love it when I see other people getting excited about news and covering a story.”
headlines means our work is often what people first see. We have a bit fun with headlines - you need a sense of humour, a keen eye for details, spelling and grammar. You also need a good general and legal knowledge and view of what’s going on in the world and of course an eye for design and the confidence at times to say when you don’t think things are quite right. We are there to question things.”
“In my mind, there’s still very much a market for print but there’s now also a fast growing market for a younger generation who want access anywhere for free for 30 seconds while they wait for the bus. “People will always want news. There are simply a lot more sources of information out there through social media and the internet. Breaking news from readers, the police, councils. We obviously also look at what’s in the paper and how we can present it differently for our online audience. We may change a headline or an intro in order to generate debate and encourage reader involvement.”
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Partnership The University of Wolverhampton is currently working together with the Express and Star on two partnerships. The £4.2 million Green Shoots Plus scheme aims to help create hundreds of jobs and promote growth. Funded by the Regional Growth Fund, it will support small to medium enterprises (SMEs) over two years. Grants of between £10,000 and £150,000 will be available for businesses to bid for from the Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall, Wolverhampton, Herefordshire, Telford and Wrekin, Shropshire, South Staffordshire and Stafford local authority areas. The scheme follows on from the hugely successful Green Shoots scheme which paid out grants of £1.2 million to support SMEs in the Black Country. The Midlands Photo Archive project is the second partnership. The partnership between the Express and Star, University of Wolverhampton and WAVE: the museums, galleries, archives of Wolverhampton, will make available to the public – via an online platform – an estimated one million photographs from the paper’s archives, dating back more than a century. The project, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, aims to carry out vital archiving work, digitise the collection and make the photographs available through a single web portal, allowing free online public access to the unrivalled images of local events, momentous and everyday, for the first time. The collection includes wartime images which were not published due to government censorship and a photograph of American civil rights activist Malcolm X visiting Smethwick in 1965, nine days before he was assassinated. Following digitisation, the original images will be transferred to Wolverhampton City Archives where they will be preserved for future generations.
Images from top: Ed Balls and Rob Marris meet the Express and Star apprentice reporters Theresa May views the Express and Star’s digital wall with editor Keith Harrison Prince Andrew sees the paper being put together in a visit to the newsroom Ed Balls takes questions on the 2015 election campaign
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apassionforfashion It had diversity of design. It had bold ideas. It had a refined execution. The runway for the Class of 2015’s annual fashion show produced an explosion of style, form and substance. Collections of 23 Fashion and Textiles students hit the catwalk at The Grand Station with two shows in front of hundreds of guests. Sharon Watts, course leader in Fashion and Textiles at the University of Wolverhampton, said: “It was the culmination and showcase of three years’ worth of hard work. “It was a real eclectic mix from the exploration of our first year’s work to the refinement of the work of our final year students with its focus. There was a great diversity on display in the collection. Some very androgynous looks, there was sophistication; there were designs that were fun and sexy and thought provoking. The collections managed to be commercial and avant-garde.”
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Images by University Photography students Sam Dunn, Hannah Lunn and Lee Rolfe.
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TeamWolverhampton By James Allen
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The sporting future looks bright at the University of Wolverhampton if the last year is anything to go by.
of the Institute was to inspire more participation and generate improved performance levels of athletes and teams representing the University.
The journey to transform the face of sport at the institution started off in October last year when Denise Lewis launched the Institute of Sport.
2014-15 saw the most successful team performance by the University in the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) rankings for 10 years. The Women’s Football team won its league and there was individual success for judo players Ebony Daley-Drysdale and Jodie Myers.
The Institute brings together all University sporting activities, including courses, facilities, research, staff expertise and participation under one umbrella. The Walsall Campus is very much the University’s sporting hub boasting a 12-court sportshall, gym, floodlit athletics track, football pitches, tennis courts, swimming pool and sports fields. It also has a series of physiology, biomechanics and social science labs used for sport, exercise and health-related research. The campus is also home to The British Judo Centre of Excellence, where elite young players from the sport are based and train with access to a state-of-the-art dojo for up to 100 judoka and strength and conditioning facilities. As well as providing a great learning and research environment for sport, the aim
And in its first full year, individual and team success has followed.
Bess Evans is the Deputy Director for the University’s Institute of Sport and she has been tasked to help bring all the elements together. She knows a thing or two about performing at the highest level being a former women’s rugby international player performing at three world cups. She said: “My role is to have an overview and co-ordinate the playing, participation and competing in sport. It is about driving up reputation and confidence and building performance levels. I’m also the new chair of the University’s Health and Wellbeing Committee so I’m looking at ways of improving things across the whole organisation.
“When I started, my main aim was to support the teams, make them successful and for them to achieve their potential. We have fantastic potential here and are somewhat of a sleeping giant in terms of sports performance. “So to have the year we have had in the BUCS League was fantastic. We’ve had some great performances and there’s a real buzz on campus around sport. I want sport to get noticed and to create a sense of belonging. “Success on the pitch can have a direct impact on student recruitment as you begin to create a sports brand. Sport can provide students with so many transferable skills that employers are looking for like teamwork and leadership that can differentiate people from others. “As a University, we also want to improve the recreational side of sport, as it is well established that healthy bodies mean healthy minds, so we want to see what we can do to encourage staff and the community to be more active. “It is an exciting time for the University. With the Institute of Sport being launched, it means more resources and talent at your disposal by bringing together sporting and academic skills and expertise.”
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INPICTURES... 01 - 04 House of Lords reception celebrating arts and culture 05 - 07 New Business School building topping out ceremony 08 - 12 Action from the University’s Sportfest event
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13 - 17 The University playing its part at the Cosford Air Show 18 - 21 University Centre Telford’s Community Day at Southwater One 22 - 25 Shots from our Business Achievement Awards at Molineux
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THANKYOU...
To all the contributors who helped make this edition a reality. Particular thanks to Vickie Warren, Emma Pugh, Iyma Atiq and Lydia Robinson for writing this edition. Also to Kulbir Entwistle for the continued great design work, Luke McNaney and Asia Mela for proofing and editing and Steve Hall for some great photographs including those from the degree show and fashion show.
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Thanks to Aidan Byrne for another sharp column and Mike Haynes, Paul Lister and Bess Evans. A special word of thanks to the Express and Star for affording the time to speak to us at great length and providing images for the feature. It’s been fun. James Allen Dialogue WLV Editor
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