Engineering: issues, challenges and opportunities for development ...

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ENGINEERING CAPACITY: EDUCATION, TRAINING AND MOBILITYsity courses and numbers. This is a global matter with ethicalas well as economic and regulatory aspects, and there is aneed to engage policy-makers. Many of the activities discussedabove are happening in other countries. But we can all learnfrom each other. WFEO can encourage sharing of informationand participation by international stakeholders to resolvethese challenges.7.2.6Mervyn JonesContinuing engineeringeducation and professionaldevelopmentIssues for engineering education are posed by the challengesto be faced in the twenty-first century. 8 Reflecting this in engineeringeducation, a failure to give appropriate recognition tothe whole-life learning needs of engineers has generated inappropriatepressures on initial engineering education. An alternativeviewpoint, which gives greater recognition to life-timeeducational needs, is advanced. A review is given of the variousactors who play a role in Continuing Engineering Education(CEE). It is noted that the motives of these are varied and different.This makes the development of a coherent policy forthe development of CEE difficult to frame, let alone developand implement. The importance of developing quality metricsfor CEE is highlighted.IntroductionIt is clear from a review of the impressive engineering achievementsof the twentieth century that these have transformedthe way we live and that, one hundred years ago, so many ofthese developments that we now so often take for grantedcould have been but barely guessed. So often these developmentswere possible because the engineers of the time hada good grasp of the state of knowledge as existed at the time,understood the fundamental principles, and were able toanalyse, challenge and, on sure foundation, were able to thinkbeyond in a creative way. It is also clear that meeting the challengesof the twenty-first century puts engineering (and science)at the heart of solving the issues that confront mankind.Although engineering and science cannot alone solve theseproblems – as economic and political influences come intoplay – without the contributions made by engineers and scientists,progress would be at a lamentable level.Engineers bring diverse skill sets to the workforce and havebeen critical to the success of many businesses, both large andsmall. However, there is a common cry of a lack of engineerswith suitable skills. There are potential solutions that might8 For more information: http://www.engineeringchallenges.orgchange such shortages, but some will take time to have animpact. The world is changing rapidly; the size of the professionalengineering staff in many companies is declining andthe potential for lifetime employment within a single company– very much a feature of the last century – has changedsignificantly. This influences the company’s vision of long-termdevelopment of its engineers and hence more responsibilitymust rest with the individual engineer. Currently, ContinuingEngineering Education structures do not necessarily recognizethat in the future it may be the engineer paying his or her ownway.In producing this Report UNESCO is recognizing the crucialimportance to global development of engineering, of the engineeringprofession, and of the education of engineers. One ofthe interesting comparisons that emerges from the NationalAcademy of Engineering’s observations on the triumphs ofthe twentieth century and the challenges of the twenty-firstcentury is that the nature of the challenges for engineers arechanging. Engineering has to be seen in a very much broadercontext in terms of its role and impact on society, and engineersneed to have a very broad set of skills in addition to theirengineering expertise.With the huge explosion of knowledge, engineers have beenforced to become more specialized in their professional skills,which in turn forces judicious choices to be made in the topicstaught during an initial education. The only way by whichthe tussle between breadth and depth can be reconciled is therecognition that a first degree provides just an initial educationand that Continuing Engineering Education (CEE) or ContinuingProfessional Development ( CPD) is essential. At thesame time, today’s global competition and professional mobilityhas resulted in engineers spending less time with a singleemployee, and the responsibility for career development restsmore with the individual engineer.At a national level concern is being expressed, at least in theUK 9 and the USA, 10 about the supply of professional engineerswith insufficient student numbers studying engineeringto meet current and anticipated needs. Much thought isbeing given to initial formation of engineers, for example, thisis directed at issues involved with improving initial engineeringformation. 11 While undeniably important, a professionallife is long in comparison to an initial education and far lesscomparable attention is being devoted to issues associatedwith Continuing Engineering Education, although interestingstudies have been reported (Bines and Watson, 1992; Burgess,9 Educating Engineers for the 21st Century. Report by The UK Royal Academy of EngineeringJune 2007, ISBN 1-903-496-35-710 Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a BrighterEconomic Future. 2005. National Academy of Engineering Report, Washington, D.C.11 Crawly, E, Malmqvist, J, Ostland, S, and Brodeur D. 2007. Rethinking Engineering Education– The CDIO Approach. Springer, 2007. ISBN 978-0-387-38287-6329
ENGINEERING: ISSUES CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR DEVELOPMENT1997), 12 13 a variety of factors are affecting engineering as awhole. Working practices are changing fast, industrial obsolescencecan occur quickly whilst over and above manufacturingis progressively becoming ‘globalized’, with demographicshifts in development and production. At the same time, whileeducational systems have become more open and diverse, theeducational levels of populations frequently do not match thetechnical changes that are occurring.We should first recognize that a student graduating with anengineering degree is far from being a fully fledged professional.Important and essential foundations have been laid,but the journey has only just begun and in this context ContinuingProfessional Development has an important role.The development of professional engineering skillsIn addition to essential technical skills, engineers are expectedto have effective communication, business and managerialskills, team working and leadership abilities, ethical and environmentalawareness, and so on. To some extent the foundationfor all of these can and should be woven into the teachingcurriculum, but there are limits, exceeding which can be toomuch at the expense of technical skills, while at the same timebeing insufficient to cover any of these to a sufficient depth.While being exhorted to include a wide range of importantsubjects in the engineering curriculum, it should not be forgottenthat the key attributes of an engineer, which first andforemost should be reflected in the educational process, is asound understanding of a technical engineering discipline andan ability to analyse, solve problems and evolve innovativesolutions in that discipline.Figure 1: Facets of engineering professionalattributesTechnicalPersonalProfessionalManagerialIt is with little difficulty that a range of key ideal attributes of aprofessional engineer can be identified. These can be groupedinto four different and general categories, which are broadlycategorized as ‘personal’, ‘technical’, ‘professional’ and ‘mana-12 Bines, H., and Watson, D. (eds). 1992. Developing Professional Education, SRHE andOpen University Press, Buckingham UK. ISBN 0-355-09710-313 Burgess, R. G. (Ed). 1997. Beyond the First Degree: Graduate Education, Lifelong Learningand Careers, SRHE and Open University Press, Buckingham UK. ISBN 0-355 19976-3gerial’, as represented by the facets of a tetrahedron (Figure1). Although tempting, equal weight should not be put onthese because the importance of each characteristic can varywith the individual, the position or during a career. Howeverit is helpful in indicating that a broad range of competenciesis required in an engineer (although the word competenceshould be used with care). 14 These attributes are developed furtherin Figure 2.Figure 2: The important attributes of aprofessional engineerTechnical Ability to think mathematically, soundknowledge of appropriate basic science, goodknowledge of a specific discipline, maintenance ofcurrent knowledge and practice.Personal Ability and willingness to learn, appreciationof limits to knowledge, good communication skills,appreciation of international dimensions.Professional Commitment to high standards,appreciation of personal and ethical responsibilities,ability to handle uncertainty, ability to communicateeffectively.Managerial Ability to work in a team, appreciation ofmanagement concepts and issues, ability to lead andmanage personal, financial and technical resources.There is probably wide consensus on this list but when the detailof what an engineer ‘should know’ at various stages in a career isexamined, how this is to be developed and by what mechanismit should be funded this consensus starts to crumble.Limits to Professional Engineering DevelopmentThere are limits to which higher educational establishmentscan contribute to CPD appropriately and effectively. Universitiesmay not necessarily be the most appropriate place forsuch developments but CPD should not be viewed in isolationfrom initial education. There are moments in a career when itis more appropriate to introduce or develop specific skills thanothers. It is important to recognize this, to see the totality of thewhole and to structure educational systems to reflect this. Tosome extent this might be considered to be a very unfashionableview; today a comment heard frequently from employersis that young engineering recruits have had inadequate experienceof working in teams and communicating effectively,especially to those who have little familiarity with the workof the company or an understanding of how business works.Undoubtedly these are necessary and important attributes ofengineers, but these must be seen within the wider context ofthe overall technical capabilities. Whereas such sentiments can14 Barnett, R. 1994. The Limits of Competence; Knowledge, Higher Education and Society,SRHE and Open University Press, Buckingham UK. ISBN 0-355-19341-7330
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UNESCO ReportEngineering:IssuesChal
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This landmark report on engineering
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Introductionto the Report
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1What is Engineering?
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5Engineering around the world
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APPENDICESous career in higher educ
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