Graduate Consultancy
The Lancaster Environment Centre’s Graduate Consultancy Scheme is designed to provide companies access to the skills and expertise of high calibre current university postgraduates, to undertake a range of projects including the development of new products and services, assesment of environmental impacts, improved resource use efficiency and market research analysis.
The consultancy, which is free of charge to Small to Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in certain eligible areas, represents a true win-win situation: The projects deliver real environmental benefits to the participating companies and provide students with valuable experience before they embark upon a career in the environmental field.
During the last year the graduate consultancy scheme hand-picked over 30 graduate consultants from the University’s Environmental Sciences Master’s level degree programmes to work within North West companies on a variety of company specific environmental problems and initiatives. Students are available to work with companies for either 5 weeks or 3 months, dependent upon the requirements of the project.
The scheme has proved successful in providing the environmental expertise to enable businesses to manage their environmental agendas and develop new products and services. Furthermore, the programme is free of charge to companies with less than 250 employees, turnover of less than £50 million, and located in an ERDF-eligible area.
Industries where students have added value in previous projects include:
- Manufacturing
- Food and Drink
- Chemicals
- Renewable Energy
- Environmental Informatics
- Environmental Consultancy
- Nuclear
- Electroplating
- Engineering
- Waste Managemnet
- Contaminated Land
- Water
Contacts
David Ainsworth
Tel: +44 (0)1524 510 586
d.ainsworth@lancaster.ac.uk
Case Study:
C & G Neve Ltd.
A report, undertaken by graduate consultant Vicky Smith over 5 weeks, evaluated water and waste minimisation opportunities for C. & G. Neve Limited, a fish processing company based in Fleetwood. This was done in an attempt to reduce utility bills. Having evaluated water use within the company, the report recommended alternative equipment which could be utilised to reduce water use.
According to Colin Newton, of the company, "Without LEC we would have had to evaluate internally. LEC offered us an outside perspective as sometimes, internally, you miss things…The catchment bins had been considered previously by the management but the report, again, highlighted their benefits to us."
