New appointment to develop next generation of intrapreneurial graduate engineers

The University of Wales Trinity Saint David has appointed Jessica Leigh-Jones, MBE, co-founder and Chief Executive of the CareerTech company iungo, as a Visiting Professor supported by the Royal Academy of Engineering to develop the next generation of intrapreneurial graduates to drive innovation in manufacturing in Wales.

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Intrapreneurs perform the role of entrepreneur but from within an organisation. They possess the entrepreneurial skills to identify new opportunities, develop new ideas, commercialise new products, and occupy a strategic role within an organisation. Intrapreneurs are supported by the resources of their organisation to deliver ambitious projects that have the potential to enhance the company’s future.

Through the Enterprising Engineers Programme, which will be delivered by the University’s Wales Institute of Science and Art from January, Jessica will work with the School of Engineering to ensure Engineering apprentices and students have the knowledge, entrepreneurial skills and expertise needed in a Post Covid-19 world.

Aligning to the Welsh Government’s Manufacturing Future for Wales: a Framework for Action, Enterprising Engineers will focus on developing engineering students and apprentices to become intrapreneurs within the industry whilst strengthening university-industry collaboration for innovation. Enterprising Engineers forms part of a long-term strategy for developing sustainable competitive advantage within the Welsh manufacturing industry.

Jessica’s role will also involve collaboration with industry partners and the University’s MADE Cymru project, which supports organisations to adapt to the challenges of Industry 4.0, to address industry challenges.

Jessica will deliver an inaugural online public lecture entitled ‘Enterprising Engineers: Developing the next generation of intrapreneurial manufacturers for South Wales’ to launch the programme on December 2.

UWTSD’s Richard Morgan said: “The Enterprising Engineers Programme will present our learners with unique opportunities to address exciting, live, real-world challenges with the support of industry experts. Innovation, creativity and systems thinking will play a key role in the UK fully realising the potential afforded by recent advancements in mechanical, electrical and digital technologies. This initiative will promote, collaborative, cross-disciplinary problem solving which aligns with UWTSD’s wider ethos and builds on our track-record for developing enterprising graduates.” 

Jessica said: “I am thrilled to be working with UWTSD on this powerful initiative to equip graduate engineers will the skills required to undertake intrapreneurial roles within the manufacturing industry. Creativity and innovation are critical to the sustainability of the manufacturing sector in Wales and I look forward to working with the university and our industry partners, with the support of the Royal Academy of Engineering, to foster collaborative ecosystems and deliver a pipeline of enterprising engineers.”

Barry Liles, OBE, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Skills and Lifelong Learning said: “We are so pleased to have the support of the Royal Academy of Engineering in developing this initiative and to have secured Jessica as a Visiting Professor. This initiative builds upon our ethos of developing highly skilled, resilient individuals ready to take on the challenges of rewarding careers in the manufacturing sector, a sector key to the economy of Wales.”

Note to Editor

Jessica Leigh Jones MBE is a multi-award-winning Engineer and Astrophysicist. She is co-founder and Chief Executive of iungo, a CareerTech Company democratising access to excellent careers for everyone. Jessica co-founded iungo solutions to respond to the future skills requirements of emerging and evolving industries in Wales. Apprenticeships are positioned at the heart of iungo's strategy to create a resilient, highly skilled, and prosperous workforce to future-proof the Welsh economy.

A former UK Young Engineer of the Year, Jessica started her engineering career with the development of a series of patented novel fibre optic sensing technologies for pregnancy monitoring. She trained as an Installation Electrician before receiving a BSc in Astrophysics from Cardiff University. She entered the manufacturing industry, initially managing technology developments associated with the Industry 4.0 movement and later managing large operational teams.

Jessica is a Non-Executive Director of Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) and Vice Chair of Wales’ largest exam board, WJEC. She is the Womenspire 2020 Board Member of the Year.

Jessica was awarded an MBE for services to women in engineering in Wales in the 2020 Queen's Birthday Honours.

Further Information

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