Engineering a bright online future

Teesside University is set to become the world's leading provider of flexible education for the engineering industry.

Teesside University Open Learning (Engineering) is to be launched on Thursday February 10 in an ambitious move to take the flexible open learning it provides to an even higher level.

It builds on the success of our Cleveland Open Learning Unit (COLU), which has educated 30,000 students and employers in the offshore oil and gas industries over the past 25 years.

AMEC Among those attending the launch event is Eric Garbutt, Project Director of the giant engineering, project management and consultancy AMEC in the Gulf.

Eric is a COLU graduate. He enrolled on the HNC in Instrumentation when he couldn’t get day release to study from work. After graduation, he went on to gain an MSc in Project Management and has since worked in the oil and gas arena in Canada, Algeria, Egypt and Chad as well as the railway industry.

He said: 'In the road map of life you will meet many crossroads; most of us will stay on the straight and narrow because it’s easier. By gaining my HNC in Instrumentation at 47 I took a turn in the road that led me to greener pastures. Delighted to support Teesside University open learning 'It made such a difference to my life and I am thrilled and delighted to support Teesside University Open Learning (Engineering) and my home town University. I am flying halfway round the world for the privilege of speaking at the event about how much it meant to me and the difference it made to my life. I have been honoured to meet the Queen in my working life and speaking on behalf of Teesside University’s open learning unit is up there with that experience.'

The great strength of Teesside’s approach is the way it offers high quality open and flexible engineering education for those who are unable to attend conventional classroom courses because of their work commitments, explains Chris Hoggarth, Director of Teesside University Open Learning (Engineering).

'For 25 years we have been creating high quality, stand alone, open learning materials and providing a realistic way to deliver the necessary training and education to people wherever they are working. So, whether you’re on an oil rig in the Caribbean or working in pipeline construction in a desert, your professional development need not be interrupted – you can study at your own pace, effectively anywhere.' says Mr Hoggarth.

Providing further levels of progression 'We’re now extending our City & Guilds and HNC Engineering course provision to HND, providing further levels of progression and creating course materials that address the significant shortfall in trained technicians and engineering support staff currently experienced by companies in the manufacturing, engineering, petrochemical, process, and pharmaceutical sectors.'

Companies are welcome to attend to the event at 4.00pm on February 10 to see what’s on offer for their employees and discuss future training and education needs.

Visit www.tees.ac.uk/tuol(e) or call Chris Hoggarth on 01642 342450.

Courses range from the popular City & Guilds level 2/3 Process Technology programmes, now offering options in liquefied natural gas manufacture and Higher National Certificate and Diploma courses in a wide range of engineering disciplines including petroleum engineering and process engineering.

Dr Paul Shelton, Assistant Dean in Educational Partnerships in the School of Science & Engineering, says: 'This event is an opportune moment to look back on the success of what was for many years the renowned COLU brand and to launch something new. COLU has always offered structured student support, with tutors available by email or telephone and this will continue with Teesside University Open Learning (Engineering).

'The support is now even more proactive, going to the industries themselves to offer education programmes and also to increase overseas provision. We hope the University’s brand will prove attractive and companies can see the opportunities available from this already successful operation.'

Representatives from the oil, gas and other process industries will be attending and guest speakers, apart from Eric Garbutt, will include Dr Stan Higgins, Chief Executive Office, North-East Process Industry Cluster; Neil Smith, Network Services Director, National Skills Academy Process Industries; Photoula Kypri, Head of Stakeholder Partnerships, Edexcel and Victoria Elliot, Business Manager, City & Guilds.

The event on February 10 is to be hosted by Professor Caroline MacDonald, Teesside’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Learning and Teaching and Professor Simon Hodgson, Dean of the University’s School of Science & Engineering.

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