Andrew Wade

Made in Sheffield: Forging tomorrow's engineering leaders

In-Depth

Readers of The Engineer frequently complain that graduates today often lack the practical knowledge and skills required for engineering in the real world. Run by the University of Sheffield, the SELA (Sheffield Engineering Leadership Academy) scheme is trying to combat this by providing a cross-disciplinary understanding of project-based engineering.

The extracurricular programme has been running since 2014 and is designed to equip graduates to take on leadership roles and create a positive impact in research and industry. This year’s cohort have been applying systems thinking to look at the UK’s energy landscape in a project exploring how to decarbonise the country’s energy system. The Student Engineer caught up with two of those involved, Jake Brown and James Featherstone, to find out about the scheme.

What degrees are you studying?  

Jake Brown: Mechanical Engineering with a Year in Industry

James Featherstone: MEng Civil Engineering

What led you to study engineering?

JB: I always enjoyed maths and science at school. I also enjoyed problem solving and working in teams and engineering combined all of these things. I specifically chose mechanical because it covered a broad range of topics and I wasn’t completely sure what I wanted to specialise in, mechanical allowed me to keep my options open.

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