Engineering Graduates for Industry:

Enhancing effective practice in employer engagement

Fiona Lamb

1Royal Academy of Engineering 16 September 2010

Overview

Setting the scene

Effective practice in employer engagement

Building partnerships

Enabling change

2Royal Academy of Engineering 16 September 2010

UK Economic Priorities

• A message echoed in many other recent reports – New Industry, New Jobs; Higher Ambitions; Stronger Together etc

“Graduates in science, technology, engineering and mathematics are key to providing the higher level skills that are

required for economic recovery and long-term prosperity in the UK”

National Skills Strategy www.bis.gov.uk/skills-for-growth

The needs of industry

• Real or simulated experience

• Relevant curricula• Theoretical understanding• Creativity and innovation

Industry wants engineering graduates who have “practical experience of real

industrial environments” Educating Engineers for the 21st Century, RAEng, 2007

• Teamwork• Technical breadth• Business skills

4Royal Academy of Engineering 16 September 2010

Engineering graduates for industry

To identify the options for encouraging and enabling universities to develop engineering courses that better meet the needs of industry and to identify the opportunities, barriers and costs involved

• Case study approach• 15 exemplars at 6 universities• www.engsc.ac.uk/graduates-for-industry/

5Royal Academy of Engineering 16 September 2010

RecommendationsExperience counts and relevance motivates. Experience-led components must be embedded into every engineering degree

Investment in experience-led HE engineering is required to deliver the higher skills needed

Significant time and energy should be directed towards building, enhancing and sustaining university/industry partnerships

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7Royal Academy of Engineering 16 September 2010

Foundation degrees (LSBU, Aston)

Work experienceWhy?• Filling skills gap• Changing nature of students• Institutional profile

What?• 2yr part-time qualifications accredited by universities• Close tie up with companies• Students already employed

Benefits• Retention within engineering career• Enhanced employability skills• Meeting real need• Huge demand• Potential for research work

Challenges• Meeting demand• Further study or employment?

8Royal Academy of Engineering 16 September 2010

Student-led activity (Imperial)

Work experienceWhy?• Enhanced employability• Additional opportunities

What?• Activities organised by the students themselves• Students raise funds etc

Benefits• Demonstrates key qualities of graduates to employers• Alumni and company links

Challenges• Costs students time and money• Not all will get involved

9Royal Academy of Engineering 16 September 2010

Active learning (Coventry, Liverpool)

Relevant curriculumWhy?• Stimulate learning• Decrease drop-out rates• Institutional profile

What?• Activity-led learning• Active learning, CDIO• Project-based learning

Benefits• Improved retention and progression• Increased engagement• Enhanced standards• Mimicking the industrial experience

Challenges• Adapting to new teaching methods• Changes to assessment methods • Resources

10Royal Academy of Engineering 16 September 2010

Simulated industrial activities (Imperial)

Relevant curriculumWhy?• Need to improve employability skills • Institutional profile• Result of visiting professor scheme

What?• Constructionarium: 6 day hands- on construction experience• Pilot chemical engineering plant

Benefits• Improved retention• Increased motivation, enthusiasm & confidence • Links theory to practice• Enhanced employability skills• Improved recruitment

Challenges• Start up• Time • Cost

Use existing practice as a starting point

• Engineering graduates for industry report• Relevant report being produced by

National Academy of Engineering, due Spring 2001 (USA)

• Olin College of Engineering (USA)• Aalborg University (Denmark)• Ecole Centrale Paris (France)• Engineering Subject Centre

11Royal Academy of Engineering 16 September 2010

Ecole Centrale Paris

Training new “Centraliens”, top-level multidisciplinary engineers who can effectively impact today’s world through their strong leadership, entrepreneurship and innovative spirit

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13Royal Academy of Engineering 16 September 2010

Shared responsibility

14Royal Academy of Engineering 16 September 2010

CEREB building (LSBU)

Building partnershipsWhy?• Understanding each other’s needs• Communication• Maximising opportunities

What?• Innovative solutions to real problems

Change rolesLeadership – senior management (uni & ind), govt

Change agents – Programme Directors, industrialists

Educational support – eng ed units, engSC, RAEng etc

Change champions – dedicated individuals (uni & ind)

Change participants – staff, industry and students

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16Royal Academy of Engineering 16 September 2010

Meeting the need

• Components of an engineering degree which develop industry-related skills including, but not limited to, direct interaction with industry

Experience-led engineering degrees

17Royal Academy of Engineering 16 September 2010

What next? Over to you

18Royal Academy of Engineering 16 September 2010