Unique design challenge takes industry collaboration to new level

EVERY year, hundreds of engineering, computer science and information systems students at the University of Huddersfield take part in a unique design challenge, solving technical problems posed by key figures from leading firms.  It gives them valuable experience of the deadline pressures and need for creativity and teamwork they will face in modern industry and is helping to secure top-class work placements and exceptionally high levels of employment after graduation.

The 2019 Design and Enterprise Challenge, organised by the University’s School of Computing and Engineering, has now taken place, with 450 second-year students of electrical engineering, automotive engineering, computer science and information systems being formed into inter-disciplinary small teams.

Representatives of the aero engineering giant BAE Systems, the construction multi-national Pasquill Saint Gobain, plus the software developers MiTek and Elder Studios then unveiled their projects.

The teams chose which challenge they would tackle and worked intensely for the next five days.  On the Friday, they unveiled their solutions in presentations that included posters, prototypes, models and interactive apps.  They had access to all the facilities and technology they needed.

The BAE Systems, Pasquill Saint Gobain, MiTek and Elder Studios executives then returned to the University, met the teams, talked through their solutions and chose the best.  Also, School of Computing and Engineering tutors appraised the performance of the teams and awarded marks because the Design and Enterprise Challenge is now built into the students’ courses.

Student design challenge – 450 take part

Professor Andrew Crampton, who is the School’s Associate Dean for Teaching and Learning, has been closely involved with the development of the Design and Enterprise Challenge over the past three years and is convinced of its value in securing excellent work placements and boosting career prospects.

“The challenge is very important to the students’ employability,” he said.  “We teach them theory and we back it up in practical sessions.  But they must also learn transferable skills and the ability to work under pressure, to a deadline, quickly interpreting a real brief, showing innovation and creativity – all the things that industry looks for.”

The Design Challenge helps to develop these attributes, said Professor Crampton, who is repeatedly impressed by way that the inter-disciplinary teams of students, probably new to each other at the start of the week, quickly gel and then work exceptionally hard – virtually round the clock in some cases.

“They might be hesitant at the start of the week, but they are buzzing by Friday.  They are marked as teams and to get good marks they must work as a team.”

It rarely happens, but if any team member fails to pull their weight, they can be fired by the others – another taste of reality.

The growing reputation of the challenge is shown by the number and calibre of the firms who are eager to take part, with the prospect of work placements for some students.

Setting the challenges this year were University of Huddersfield alumnus Professor Paul Needham and Richard Oldfield of BAE Systems, Lisa Greenhalgh of St Gobain, Richard George of MiTek and Tony Jenkins of the Huddersfield-based Elder Studios.

Professor Crampton is grateful for their input and impressed by the contribution made by the firms.

“They have to make a big commitment, not only spending time with the students but coming with data sheets and a lot of supplementary information,” he said.

Even so, he added, the growing reputation of the Challenge means that the School has had to turn down offers from companies who now want to get involved.