Tom Caira

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

ABOUT TOM CAIRA

I am passionate about education in all its various forms. I see education as a panacea for a lot of ills that beset this great country of ours. It is my passionate belief that calculated, considered and continuous investment in education - in all its various forms - can lead to a reduction in demand on the welfare state; a reduction in alcohol and drug abuse; a reduction in violence and crime; an increase in tolerance, integrity and fair-play; an increase in opportunity for enterprise and entrepreneurship; an increase in employment prospects for school, college and university leavers; a positive impact on the NHS; and a better standard of life for all. I spent the first part of my career in the private sector and the last 29 years in academia (University of the West of Scotland). I have worked in range of organisations from large multi-nationals right through to very small local businesses. I have also run 4 computer consultancy companies of my own. I have remained in close contact with industry throughout my time in academia and feel it is essential for universities and industry to work in close partnership. I re-formed the UWS Industrial Advisory Board for Computing which, at its peak, had over 80 industry members, ranging from large multi-nationals through to small West/Central Scotland based companies. I see a great need to properly prepare graduates for employment and to encourage them to consider opportunities for creating start-up companies, dreaming big and pushing themselves out of their comfort zone. It saddens me greatly to see graduates in the final year of their studies, saddled with debt and desperately wondering how they can get a job. What I really want to see them wondering is \"How can I change the world?\" I do everything I can to change that mindset and to motivate and encourage them to become the business leaders and independent thinkers of tomorrow.