Sargent, PTH

Nottingham Trent Institutional Repository (IRep)

LIDAR APPLICATION42 Geomatics World March/April 2005surveying instruments and software from Topcon,including robotic, reflectorless, imaging and scan-ning total stations, GPS and digital photogramme-try. The equipment will be available both for stu-dents and accessible by companies. Topcon justedged out Trimble, who also offered a superb valuepackage of equipment.SMEs will be offered:• access to this equipment and software for ini-tial inspection, instruction and assessment,• training courses,• hire opportunities, and • assistance with grant applications if purchas-es are planned.Assistance to SMEs is not limited to this equipment;the network can assist, companies involved in anyaspect of construction. Needs already identified byone group of employers and being addressed bythe network are provision of training courses inAutoCAD and Microsoft Project.The range of equipment bought by the network isa major step in bringing education facilities in linewith equipment used on-site. Funding is a constantissue in education and it is not uncommon for stu-dents to be learning surveying techniques on rela-tively outdated equipment. Now students will be ableto have hands-on experience of the equipment theyare likely to meet when they go out into industry.Lecturers will also have training in how to usethe latest instruments and software, so increasingtheir skills and helping them to keep up-to-datewith industry developments. Ian Lester, lecturer inconstruction and civil engineering at LincolnCollege, agrees: “As a college this gives us the lead-ing edge in technology. A lot of students are onday-release and are using up-to-date equipment intheir businesses. Equipment at colleges can bemany years old. Suddenly we are at the cuttingedge, which students appreciate, and that gives usmore credibility.”The Technical Development Grants which areavailable include up to £5,000 for the purchase ofadvanced technology equipment to enhance thecompany’s productivity with funding matched bythe company and one or more employees enrollingon a relevant NTI course. The scheme is open tosmall and medium sized firms which have beentrading for a minimum of one year and operatingin the sectors specified by NTI.• More details from East Midlands NTI Press Office,Lyn Churcher or Sarah Braund. Tel: 01949 850010.The East Midlands New Technology Initiative(NTI) is the largest of 18 regional NTIsacross the UK, and is recognised as a bestpractice model for all NTIs. A £6m initiative, it is aconsortium of 33 universities and colleges formedto strengthen the links between education and thelocal economy.East Midlands NTI has eight networks targetingvarious industry sectors, including the newly-formed Construction Network, which has some£0.5m funding from East Midlands DevelopmentAgency to support its work over the next two years.The network aims to work closely with small- tomedium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in construction inthe region to identify their equipment, training andeducational needs. The network aims to fulfil its brief:• through provision of advice and consultancy relating toadvanced technologies: evaluation and assessment, pro-curement, effective application and implementation,best practice, etc,• by providing SMEs with access to new, high-tech equip-ment so that they can assess its possible impact ontheir productivity,• by supporting and assisting an SME to make a techni-cal development grant application to the East MidlandsNTI and/or to make an application for financial assis-tance from other sources,• through the provision of company-based training serv-ices (for example, by delivering new bespoke trainingon company premises or enhanced or new work-basedlearning, providing advice on the design of in-housetechnology training programmes, etc),• by using NTI investment to enhance or develop institu-tion-based academic provision which employees ofSMEs may attend with the support of their employer.The network aims to assist and serve SMEs from oneperson to 250 employees which are working in anyaspect of the provision or supply of construction-related activities or services. The network identifiedtwo areas of par-ticular strengthamong its mem-bers: plumbingand surveying. Ithas therefore justused its Phase 1capital money tobuy a fully-equipped diagnos-tic workshop fortraining plumbers,and almost£200,000 worth ofThe UKGovernment iskeen to raise theapplication ofnew technologyin the construct-ion industry. Inthe EastMidlands areaplumbing andsurveying areamongst theprime beneficiar-ies. (Let’s hopesurveyors willsoon be earningas much asplumbers seemto – Editor.)Photo above shows adelighted PhilSargent as he getshis hands on someof the equipment.The instrument isone of Topcon’s newGPT7000 series dig-ital imaging totalstations.New technology benefitsEast MidlandsPhil Sargent, Senior Lecturer at Nottingham Trent UniversityPhil Sargent and col-leagues are benefit-ting from  nearly£200,000 worth ofsurvey equipmentsupplied by Topcon.For more information, contact:PV Publications Ltd, publishers of Geomatics World magazine.Tel: +44 (0)1438 352617Email: editor@pvpubs.demon.co.ukwww.pvpubs.com

New technology benefits the East Midlands

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New technology benefits the East Midlands

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