§ 31. Mr. Peter Bruinvelsasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what are the aims and objectives of the Polycad scheme.
§ Mr. PattieThe aim of the Polycad scheme has been, at a cost to my Department of £3 million, to enable all students on electrical and electronic engineering degree472W courses at polytechnics and other colleges to gain hands-on experience in the use of computer aided design (CAD) techniques for the design of silicon integrated circuits. The scheme complements and builds on arrangements made by the University Grants Committee for the provision of equivalent facilities in universities. In helping to equip graduates with the skills needed to promote the application of information technology in United Kingdom industry the scheme represents a significant contribution by my Department in Industry Year to furthering collaboration between education and industry.