NMIS Insights Engage special: The NMIS Manufacturing Skills Academy for businesses and individuals

Dr Dorothy Evans currently manages the NMIS Advanced Manufacturing Industrial Doctorate Centre, where she works directly with both academia and industry, recruiting, managing and supporting PhD and Engineering Doctorate students, working on real-time research projects. 

She is an experienced project manager who has extensive experience in managing complex design, multi-technology projects through to successful conclusion.  She has been pivotal in establishing the Doctorate Centre within NMIS as well as managing a network of graduates, academics, industry sponsors and companies across a widespread, geographical region.

She holds an MA in Design Management (Staffordshire University) and a PhD from the Centre for Creative Industries at Glasgow Caledonian University. Her PhD thesis examined ‘Value-Added Design: Perception vs. Reality’.

After graduating from the University of Strathclyde with a Masters in Manufacturing Sciences and Engineering, Stewart opened a manufacturing plant in Aberdeen making helium speech unscramblers (which effectively decipher the speech of deep sea divers) culminating in the role of General Manager of a site with a £100m turnover.

Stewart later worked for Sector Skills Council in Scotland, responsible for the engineering modern apprenticeship framework, growing the number of new starts from 850 to 1,500 per year.

In 2015 he joined the Engineering Academy at the University of Strathclyde where his role supported employer’s talent pipelines and the widening access agenda and he was one of a small team who introduced the engineering Graduate Apprenticeship programme. In 2020, Stewart transferred to the NMIS Manufacturing Skills Academy.

Stewart was previously Chair of the Scottish Association for Engineering Education (SAFEE), and is a current board member of both Equate Scotland and Skills Development Scotland’s Engineering Skills and Leadership group. He also completed the employer engagement consultation of the 5 year review of SQA’s engineering qualification portfolio that feeds into HN Next Gen.

Jose is responsible for developing the strategy and portfolio of CPD products and services that will be offered through the NMIS Manufacturing Skills Academy.

Jose is also Knowledge Exchange Fellow for the Department of Design, Manufacture and Engineering Management (DMEM) at the University of Strathclyde and has significant experience working and supporting private and public sector organisations through their workforce upskilling journeys.

His areas of expertise are in engineering design and operational excellence and Jose leads the delivery of well-established training courses such as the University of Strathclyde’s Lean Six Sigma training programme.

Jim is responsible for leading the development of capability of the NMIS Manufacturing Skills Academy (MSA).  He has a particular interest in both organisational culture and people development, striving to give young people the opportunity and support required to grow towards achieving their career aspirations.

Jim’s career began as an apprentice with Doosan Babcock based in Renfrew. During his time at Doosan Babcock he graduated from the University of Strathclyde with an Honours degree in Metallurgy and subsequently an MBA from Strathclyde Business School.  With Doosan Babcock Jim served as Director of Asset Management & Product Development, leading the business’s manufacturing and engineering consultancy. He is a professional member of IOM3 and has been a Chartered Engineer since 1994.  In 2018, Jim moved to Skills Development Scotland and, alongside his then role of MSA Capability Lead, continued in the role of NMIS Skills Programme Manager with SDS. 

Jim is also a member of the Board of Management at West College Scotland, where he chairs the Finance committee