Who got that job?

Malcolm Carr-West, 55

Job advertised in The THES , February 21, 2003

The declining popularity of engineering and the regeneration of the Thames Gateway formed the backdrop to the search for a manager of the Dagenham New Technology Institute (NTI). It is based at the Centre for Engineering and Manufacturing Excellence (Ceme), a private-public partnership near Ford's motor plant in Dagenham, Essex. The NTI needed someone to coordinate Ceme's university partners, who provide teaching content and provision for engineering students at all levels.

Chris Backhouse, dean of lead partner Loughborough University's engineering faculty, says: "We failed to make an appointment at first. Malcolm came in late and was ideal."

Malcolm Carr-West was head of Writtle College's agricultural engineering department and had worked with regional universities on accrediting Writtle's degree courses. He was also at a turning point in his career.

"Engineering and agriculture are not in favour in the UK and we were the last but one degree course to close. I was faced with the prospect of a gentle decline into retirement or something exciting for engineering," he says.

The NTI was set up to oversee the introduction of new technologies and look at programmes from further to higher education.

Staff from Loughborough, East London and Anglia universities teach and accredit foundation degrees. Further links with Warwick University, Henley Management College and Cardiff Business School are expected to provide MBA programmes and executive training.