Kimmon
in-house. Graduates, therefore, predominantly
HeCd Lasers
remain within the sphere of academic research
instead of moving straight into the industrial
world.
Correspondingly, most of the new
photonics companies in the UK have their
roots in science parks and other academic
High Power UV Lasers
clusters. What started life as purely research-
100mW at 325nm
based photonics is often developed into a
viable product and commercialised within this
framework. SPI Lasers, which is now part of
Trumpf, began in this way originating from
the Optoelectronics Research Centre at the
University of Southampton.
Foulks goes on to make a direct comparison
of the situation in the UK with that in Germany. Students are shown Trumpf’s latest sheet metalworking
‘Manufacturers [in Germany] work hand
technology as part of an Open House event at the
company’s UK branch in Luton, Bedfordshire.
in hand with academia – a good example is
Trumpf in Stuttgart. It takes graduates straight US has good optics programmes at university
from university, enabling them to develop their level and students travel from all over the
•
>25,000 lasers
skills and careers within the manufacturing world to enrol, but once foreign students
installed
environment.’ have attained their diploma they can’t work
As part of an Open House event, Trumpf for many US companies due to their foreign
UK invited sixth form students from Aylesbury citizenship,’ he explains.
•
4500 to 10000 hours
Grammar School and a group of modern ‘The outreach programmes funded by SPIE typical lifetimes
apprentices from Barnfi eld College to view are there to help people connect with each
its latest sheet metalworking technology. ‘We other and share ideas, as well as to inspire
•
442, 325 and
wanted to create a fun day during which individuals and promote an understanding
442/325 outputs
we explained laser technology and its huge of the technology,’ says Fabian. Some of the
potential. Normally students have little outreach programmes SPIE helps run are
exposure to the manufacturing environment, remarkably popular – a student chapter in
•
14-180mW at 442nm,
but we were able to show them that a career India hosts 1,500 pre-college students for a 2-100mW at 325nm
in this fi eld is an exciting prospect,’ comments single outreach weekend.
Foulks. Foulks of Trumpf UK feels efforts should be
•
Best Guarantee in
Trumpf UK also has its own apprenticeship- made to include younger children in activities
the industry
training scheme with Barnfi eld College. It has relating to photonics. ‘I’d very much like to
been running for approximately 18 months see other companies follow suit and join forces
and was introduced to bridge any skills with institutes and industry bodies to capture
shortage as the company continues to grow. the imagination of younger generations,’ he
‘This move was considered vital, as generally says.
there is evidence of a two-generation gap in Colquhoun of Fibre Photonics agrees: ‘I
the number of engineers coming into industry,’ have young children in primary education
notes Foulks. and they are not alone among their peers
SPIE provides funding for 135 student in being excited and intrigued by the world
chapters around the world. These groups are around them. On a daily basis, there is some
managed and run by students involved in optics element of science being taught at school but
Kimmon HeCd Lasers from
and photonics at university, and SPIE provides they are rarely told that they are actually doing
Photonic Solutions
funding for a whole range of activities aimed physics, biology or chemistry. By the time a
at improving understanding of the photonics pupil is embarking on secondary education,
Unit A, 40 Captains Road
industry. Activities include inviting academic there is an unfortunate perception that these
Edinburgh, EH17 8QF
and industry leaders to speak at an event, and subjects are somehow diffi cult. Somehow, we
tel: +44 131 664 8122
site tours of industrial optics facilities, as well lose those inquisitive minds.’
fax: +44 131 664 8144
email: sales@photonicsolutions.co.uk
as organising workshops and science fairs for Photonics has grown considerably as a
web: www.photonicsolutions.co.uk
pre-university students. market sector and for it to continue to do so
Dirk Fabian, student services lead at SPIE, the combined efforts of its industry bodies,
identifi es one of the major problems with organisations and research institutes are
recruiting graduates into the photonics industry required to promote career development in
in the US as its restriction on citizenship: ‘The the fi eld.
EOfeb09 pp20-21 Graduates.indd 21 17/2/09 16:49:29
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