§ Mrs. GillanTo ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the progress of the teaching company scheme.
§ Mr. SainsburyThe teaching company scheme is now in its 19th year of operation; following changes made in 1986, it is now widely regarded as one of the most
Name Professor John Goodman Chairman: Manchester School of Management Professor David Johns Vice Chancellor: University of Bradford Dr. James Kinloch Chairman: The Kinloch Electronics Group Professor Stan Mason Principal and Vice-Chancellor: Glasgow Caledonian University Professor John Midwinter Head of Electronic and Electrical Engineering Department: University College London Mr. Colin Mitchell Communications and Corporate Mail Manager: ICI Mr. William Morris Vice-President: Short Brothers plc Dr. A. W. Nelson Managing Director: Epitaxial Products Ltd. Dr. John Parnaby, managing director, Lucas Applied Technology Ltd. chairman of the LINK steering group, will join the board as an observer. DTI and the Office of Science and Technology will also be represented on the board.
The board will be responsible for the successful continuation of TCS and its development to include new initiatives such as the teaching company centres and proposals to introduce the TCS concept into colleges of further education announced in the White Paper on Competitiveness, Cm. 2563.
176Wsuccessful mechanisms of technology transfer and has been replicated in several other countries. TCS helps firms to access technology in United Kingdom universities by enabling them to employ young graduates to install specific technologies or processes in the firm. The graduates are jointly supervised by the firm and the university.
Graduates receive a salary, paid through the university, which comprises an element of public sector support from one or more sponsors, together with a contribution from the firm.
As at 16 May 1994, 509 TCS programmes are in progress, involving 586 graduates and 82 universities. Over 50 per cent. of TCS programmes take place in small and medium-sized enterprises; it is intended to increase this proportion to about 60 per cent.
Although conceived as a joint DTI/SERC scheme, TCS has expanded its sponsorship base to include other research councils and government departments. Eleven organisations now act as sponsors.
A recent interdepartmental review of the scheme concluded that there were areas where its internal operation could be improved. Copies of the review have been lodged in the Library of the House.
Among a wide-ranging list of recommendations, four stand out:
1. It will no longer be necessary for individual programmes of interest to DTI, EPSRC or other sponsors to receive joint sponsorship; the effect of this will be to allow each sponsor to target more clearly those types of firm or technology that it wishes to support.2. Longer term planning within TCS will be improved, by the production of a 5–year strategic plan, amended on an annual basis and supplemented by an annual business plan.3. The managerial focus of the scheme will be sharpened by the nomination of DTI as lead sponsor department. DTI will ensure that the scheme is delivered according to the wishes of the sponsors as a whole.4. The scheme will be supervised by a new Teaching Company Scheme Board, to be chaired by Sir Anthony Gill. The Board will comprise the following members, providing a balanced representation of industrial and academic interests: