This document discusses the development of an enterprising module led by industry at the University of Sheffield. It involved partnerships between the university, Fujifilm Diosynth, and students. The module aims to reduce student numbers while increasing choices, equip students with skills to support knowledge application and employment, and provide work experience leading to jobs. It involved activities like industry visits, creativity workshops, and business analysis tutorials. Partners collaborated to build networks, understand industry and university offerings, identify projects, and ensure relevance and employability skills while offering differentiation. A key takeaway is that industry advisory boards should be involved in learning and teaching, and that the focus should be on developing skills rather than specific knowledge.

1. Karen Wood, Chemical & Biological Engineering
karen.wood@sheffield.ac.uk | @ABCSheffield
Dr Gary C Wood, University of Sheffield Enterprise
g.c.wood@sheffield.ac.uk | @GC_Wood
Challenging Industries:
An enterprising module led by industry

2. University Industry Students
‘Value add’ PGT offer
- Reducing student
numbers, increasing
choices
‘Ready to work’ employees
- Skills to support
application of knowledge
Agreeing the Vision
- Work experience that
leads to employment
Why?
2

3. 3
Session Activity Session Activity
1 Bootcamp 6 Tutorial on business analysis
2 Visit from FDB – Dr Charles Heise 7 Group work and video chat
3 Industry Visit 8 Bringing blue sky back to earth
4 Tutorial – project template, context 9 Presentation skills
5 Creativity/Innovation – Thinking
outside the box
10 Working with business
What?

4. How?
4
Partnership building
Agreeing the Vision
Designing the Module
Pilot & Evaluation

5. How?
5
Partnership building
Agreeing the Vision
Designing the Module
Pilot & Evaluation

6. How?
6
Partnership building
Agreeing the Vision
Designing the Module
Pilot & Evaluation

7. Univ. of Sheffield Fujifilm Diosynth Students
Building networks
Understand industry needs
(research and teaching)
Understanding uni. offer &
identify industry projects
Understanding business
relevance of academic study
Ensuring relevance Collaborative opportunities Employability skills
Differentiation Work-ready graduates
Generate income Differentiation
Development potential
How?
7
Partnership building
Agreeing the Vision
Designing the Module
Pilot & Evaluation

8. Key take-home messages
● Industry Advisory Boards should be involved in L&T matters.
● Engage supportive industry partners early.
● Start from the skills rather than the specific engineering knowledge.
● Membership of the project team is important: education developers to
mediate industry expertise with education theory and best practice.
Academics are not necessarily well-placed to do this.
● Understand and agree the vision defined as learning outcomes.
● Keep the focus on skills rather than knowledge to avoids niche input from
industry partners – they all want the same skills.
8

9. Karen Wood, Chemical & Biological Engineering
karen.wood@sheffield.ac.uk | @ABCSheffield
Dr Gary C Wood, University of Sheffield Enterprise
g.c.wood@sheffield.ac.uk | @GC_Wood
Challenging Industries:
An enterprising module led by industry