Three key sectors where USW is forging a collaborative future
Since I arrived back at the University of South Wales (USW) in April, it has been brilliant to see how three projects at the institution’s Cardiff, Newport and Treforest campuses are developing strong links with key sectors.
The first is Film & TV School Wales, developed in consultation with the Welsh Government and the creative industries sector to bring together existing film and TV courses and a new industry-linked set of postgraduate degrees. Based at USW’s Cardiff campus, home to its Faculty of Creative Industries, Film & TV School Wales will be a focal point for students who want to work in the film and TV sectors in Wales, the UK and beyond.
The second major development is the National Cyber Security Academy (NCSA) at USW’s Newport city campus. Cyber security is one of the world’s fastest-growing technology sectors, yet the demand for qualified cyber security graduates is far outstripping supply. The UK Government Cyber Security Strategy shows 66% of UK firms lack enough information personnel to meet their security needs.
Fortunately, the skill needs of the cyber security industry have started to be met by USW – currently the major Welsh provider of cyber security qualifications – through the launch of the NCSA. This is the first of its kind in Wales and builds on the success of other established undergraduate and postgraduate courses, including those in cyber security, computer forensics and computer security. In fact, the computer forensics MSc, which prepares students for a career in computer forensics and IT security, is one of the few in the UK that is certified by GCHQ.
To ensure industry and academia are collaborating closely to develop workready graduates, the NCSA offers the BSc (Hons) Applied Cyber Security programme in partnership with the South Wales Cyber Security Cluster and major industry players including Airbus, General Dynamics UK and Alert Logic.
What is unique about the NCSA is that undergraduates work on real-world projects set by NCSA partners while also “flight-testing” the course to ensure it meets the latest cyber security challenges. It will develop further as industry partners identify new challenges and USW aims to quickly build up student numbers.
Finally, USW has launched a new business hub concept which brings together the needs of SMEs with the skills of academia. Based at the South Wales Business School in Treforest, the USW Exchange is a one-stop shop for firms wanting to tap into talent at the university, providing both business support advice and a unique student experience.
One of its key offerings is the USW Business Clinic, a scheme whereby students participate in a “consultancy firm”. This free service sees USW students offer a full consultancy to everything from SMEs to multinationals and non-profit organisations. Working in groups, the students tackle the organisation’s problem by visiting the client, communicating their progress, conducting research and finally making recommendations to help the client achieve their goals.
USW Exchange also offers the Access to Expertise (A2E) programme, which involves free one-to-one clinic sessions, industry-led workshops and themed networking events. Working with affiliates such as Business Wales and the Federation of Small Businesses, a programme for businesses has been developed that will help unlock potential and build confidence in key areas including sales and marketing, people and skills, finance, coaching and mentoring, innovation, operations, exports and strategy.
Finally, USW Exchange is working with alumni to develop new businesses themselves. A recent example is S2S (Student to Student), set up by three former students to develop a revolutionary approach to student support software. USW Exchange invested in the initial prototype of the technology and enabled S2S to gain further support from organisations including Business Wales, where the new venture secured a business mentor.
USW is making a real difference to south Wales’ business community, not only by ensuring its industrial links are relevant to local firms, but also by creating the skilled graduate of the future for some of our key industries.