A NEWPORT company is hoping to unearth the next generation of software engineers as part of a partnership with Cardiff University.

The Alacrity Foundation, which was launched by telecoms tycoon Sir Terry Matthews nearly three years ago, will work with Cardiff University and the Welsh Government to tackle Wales’ IT shortage through the "‘‘National Software Academy’".

Run in partnership with the Alacrity Foundation in Newport, the three-year degree programme (BSc applied software engineering) has been set up by the University’s School of Computer Science and Informatics to address the current unmet demand for skilled software engineers in Wales.

The degree, which will be delivered at ‘Platfform’ – home of the Welsh Government’s new digital innovation company in Newport – will also form a key part of the Welsh Government’s initiative to regenerate Newport by providing strong links with industry and to the wider Cardiff region.

Professor Simon Gibson, chairman of the Alacrity Foundation, said: “From our experience, it became clear that the academic community urgently needed to produce a new curriculum with a much tighter awareness of the needs of employers.

“Through a strong partnership with Cardiff University, the Alacrity Foundation has assisted in creating a course aligned with the enormous opportunities that continue to emerge from the world of computing and networking.

“The reaction of industry and potential students, coupled with the success of the pilot year, endorses the decision to innovate in the teaching of software engineering. We applaud Cardiff University for having the foresight to create the National Software Academy.”

Students enrolled on to the National Software Academy will work on "‘real life"’ projects throughout their studies under the mentorship of experienced software engineers from industry.

By tackling existing commercial projects, the students will be exposed to leading-edge technologies and will be able to develop the necessary skills and “on the job” experience required by employers.

Teaching in the National Software Academy will mimic a workplace environment with an emphasis on working in small groups with industry working practices.