01 February 2008
Elta Links with Portsmouth University Generates High Degrees of Success
By Elta
01 February 2008
Elta in Fareham has forged links with Portsmouth University to boost the industrial expertise of undergraduates studying engineering degrees by providing work placements.
Elta is one of the largest businesses that Portsmouth University partners, with up to five students placed at one time at the company for a period of twelve months.
The schemes are equally beneficial both to Elta and Portsmouth University, as Neville Tubb, Chief Mechanical Engineer at Elta explains, “The aim of the experience is twofold. We gain a useful employee and the student gains vital experience in the workplace. On return to university for their final year, Elta still has an input in the students’ studies as we provide them with a live industrial project. This is a great opportunity for Elta to investigate new areas with a full report at the end. One project this year that our students are involved in is an automatic air loading system for our test laboratory.”
John Bishop, Industrial Placement lecturer at University of Portsmouth comments, “Much time and effort is put into finding the correct placement for the student and a large proportion are actually offered employment following their graduation or alternatively funding for the final year of study.”
“Our students benefit enormously from industrial placements, they gain superb industrial experience relevant to their degree. We find that the students also mature and get to grips with the fundamentals of working life.”
One postgraduate who benefited greatly from the Elta Fans-Portsmouth University Scheme is Martin Repka who is now employed as a development engineer for Elta Fans. “During my industrial year, I was based solely in the research and development department where I learned the ropes and became acquainted with the test equipment within the laboratory. I have been employed by Elta Fans in a permanent position following my graduation in July 2005.”
International student, Sreganesh Mani, known as Nash, from Malaysia joined a twelve month programme as an undergraduate placement in engineering with Elta Fans for a year during his degree at Portsmouth University, and as Nash explains, the training and time invested by Elta Fans proved to be invaluable,”My placement was to train and gain experience in the areas of quality control and inspection, including product build and testing of prototype and existing ventilation products.”
Following the completion of his degree in 2006, Nash was offered a position in Malaysia with Eltafantech, the South East Asian division
Elta Fans is part of the £85 million Elta Group, a family of businesses with operations in six countries on four continents which, together with a network of international distributors, provides quality fans and related air movement equipment to customers worldwide.
