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This month, 42 MADE Cymru students graduated from the ���ϳԹ��� (���ϳԹ���) with MSc and PG Certs in Innovation Management and Industry 4.0 courses. 

This brings the total number of students who have studied with MADE Cymru to 417. There have been 134 different businesses that have sent students on the courses. Some of the businesses with students graduating this month include Safran Seats, Diamond Centre Wales, Reflexallen, Gestamp, Energizer Auto UK, Viscose Closures, and Marelli. These companies have actively encouraged and supported their staff to participate in the programmes.

Amanda Hayden, Senior Project Manager for MADE Cymru, said, “I looked after the students who were studying with us, and it is an absolute honour to see them graduate. It’s not easy to study and work, so we are really proud that we designed courses that could be completed alongside work (and home) commitments. As Lisa mentions below, we exceeded all the project’s outputs, but what I am celebrating are the personal challenges and developments that have happened. Studying has given many of the students so much confidence and a new surge of professional energy! Many have gone on to study other courses at ���ϳԹ���. The world is their oyster, and I’m proud to have played a part in that.”

About MADE Cymru

MADE Cymru is a ���ϳԹ��� initiative funded by the Welsh Government. From remote learning opportunities to hands-on support with prototyping, MADE Cymru has helped manufacturers embrace the latest knowledge, research, and technologies.

Practical and impactful courses

The live and online courses were designed by a team of academics and industry experts to ensure they were relevant and meaningful to both the students and their businesses. Understanding the demands and challenges of the sector was a huge benefit, and the courses were cited as being practical and impactful. Students could implement what they learned immediately.

Diverse student backgrounds

Alan Mumby, Innovation Management lecturer at MADE Cymru, said: “The students who have been studying with us come from across Wales and from very diverse professions: engineers, chemists, a law graduate, textile designers, a sawmill manager, surface designers, design engineers, marketing managers, and a micro-palaeontologist! The companies they come from are just as diverse: a manufacturer of scientific instruments for thermal desorption, a traditional woollen mill, producers of specialised working-at-heights access equipment, a branding and graphics consultancy, a stratigraphic consultancy, a timber processing company, and an aviation consultancy. This demonstrates the appetite for work-friendly courses such as these. It is an honour to be at graduation and see these fantastic students awarded their qualifications. I can’t wait to see what they do next.”

Student story: Bernadette Lessimore

Bernadette Lessimore, the Commercial and Finance Manager at Synergy Plastics Ltd, studied for a PG Cert in Innovation Management.

“The fact that the course was online was a great help, allowing me to remain on-site and contactable if needed. The course was delivered in a very professional manner, with various guest speakers making it even more interesting.

“Personally, this has increased my confidence. Having not stepped into a ‘classroom’ for over 30 years, I had a lot of concerns at the beginning about how I would cope in this environment again, especially with students who have continually kept up with their studies. However, my fellow students were amazing and very supportive, and my confidence grew over the term of the course.

“As far as work is concerned, I have always been heavily involved in the finances of every company I have worked for. My current workplace is a plastic injection moulders, and every part of this course content was relevant to areas I have not been able to be involved in due to a lack of experience. Going forward, I now have the tools to become part of the team regarding innovation and new tooling projects.”

Student story: Adam Fairbank

Adam Fairbank, Marketing & Recruitment Manager, ION Leadership, Swansea University studied the MADE Cymru PG Cert Innovation Management.

“This course revitalised my love of learning. We developed a fantastic community of innovators, all on hand to help each other out. And of course, the legend that is Alan (Mumby). The weekly sessions, live from his shed in North Wales, were hugely insightful and hilarious in equal measure and were a fantastic 2 hours spent each week. 

“This has had a huge impact on my job. I have recently moved into a position working within the innovation ecosystem in Wales and I am massively excited for what comes next (maybe a Masters!).”

Unexpected outcomes of MADE Cymru

Lisa Lucas, who managed the MADE Cymru project for ���ϳԹ���, said, “When the MADE Cymru programmes were designed, no one could have foreseen the impact they would have on the manufacturing sector in Wales. There have also been some unexpected outcomes, such as students from different organisations and sectors collaborating on projects and sharing their challenges. We didn’t realise what a strong network of businesses we were creating and are so pleased to stay connected and continue to work with many of them.

“We’ve had organisations that started on a short course, did some R&D with us, and then moved on to Smart Partnerships, Knowledge Transfer Partnerships or took part in the Degree Apprenticeship programme. We organise regular events and meet-ups, and it astounds me every time how many ex-students and organisations turn up.

“It has also provided numerous opportunities for our ���ϳԹ��� students, who have worked as interns on both the MADE Cymru project (we had a fantastic illustration student, Ben Deere, with us for two years) and those who worked on research projects or as interns with the manufacturers. The impact of this project goes further than the impressive outputs. It is the significant stories, the personal wins, and the collaborations that we as a team are celebrating.”

If you’d like any information about MADE Cymru, please email MADE@uwtsd.ac.uk

Further Information

Rebecca Davies

Executive Press and Media Relations Officer    
Corporate Communications and PR    
Email: rebecca.davies@uwtsd.ac.uk    
Phone: 07384 467071