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WE TEACH THEM TO THINK, YOU TRAIN THEM TO BE ENGINEERS

Patrick Coleman, PhD PEng, AECOM

1. INTRODUCTION

The competencies required to be a professional engineer are set by engineering associations (EngineersCanada 2009).

In the four to six years of their career, graduate engineers to try to

accumulate the experience record necessary to satisfy their engineering association requirements. The depth and utility of their learning varies, depending on the type of work they are assigned and the quantity and quality of coaching they receive from senior staff.

Many companies in Canada see the achievement of professional status as

the individual’s responsibility. They support the applicant by reimbursing training and registration costs, and providing work experience. They may also monitor the applicant’s progress through the performance appraisal process. But this still falls short of the structured process used by chartered institutes in the United Kingdom.

This is a lost opportunity. Young engineers with 3 to 10 years of

experience are the resource that drives the future of engineering firms. Adopting a structured training approach that will make staff more productive earlier in their careers is a wise investment. Conversely, failing to do so incurs a risk that they will only nominally satisfy their experience requirements—without obtaining all the skills that will be important to their employer.

This is not a responsibility that can be downloaded to Universities. By the

time a student graduates from an engineering program, they should have a good knowledge of engineering theory and possess the ability to think. Equally important, they should be able to communicate their thoughts in their written and oral work. The role of the employer is to transform these graduates into people who can apply scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to solve technical problems (AECOM 2011):

Whilst attainment of higher education qualifications is the first major milestone in embarking on a professional career, most senior professionals agree that your first job out of university is where your professional learning really begins. Many senior professionals reflect that joining a team with a great culture, or that first mentor who shared some wisdom,

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were instrumental in accelerating their learning, and even shaping their whole approach to their work as a professional. In other words, Universities teach people to think, employers teach them

to be engineers.

2. STRUCTURED TRAINING

Figure 1 illustrates the formalized training cycle. Once the need is identified, the content and delivery method are established. The training is given and the transfer is assessed. Support is given either through coaching (which focuses on skills) or mentoring (which focuses on the person) to ensure that the person receiving the training effectively applies the new skill (Petrin 2008).

FIGURE 1 FORMALIZED TRAINING

Training may be proactive or reactive. Proactive training occurs when the employer anticipates that staff needs to acquire a new skill (e.g. introduction of a new expense reporting system). Reactive training occurs when the employer observes staff struggling and realizes they lack the skills to complete a task (e.g. processing shop drawings without adequate guidance). Training may be delivered to an individual or a group.

Competency based structured training is a planned coaching program

whose purpose is to enable young staff to acquire skill and knowledge they require over a fixed time period to meet the requirements of their profession and their employer. It consists of individual and group coaching that may be occur on site, at the office, in a class room, on the design floor or during client meetings.

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A structured training program does not replace the need for a formal or informal mentoring program.

3. ARGUMENTS FOR A STRUCTURED TRAINING PROGRAM

There are three arguments that can be put forward as to why the Canadian

engineering practice should follow the method used by chartered institutes in the UK.

1. Labour market 2. Professional responsibility 3. Financial Sustainability

3.1 THE LABOUR MARKET ARGUMENT

There is a shortage of experienced engineers to coach and mentor new graduates on an ad hoc basis. Coaches and mentors are a scarce resource that needs to be managed. A structured training program helps plan out when such professional advisors are required, and how to best use them in the program.

Engineering graduates enter the labour market with core technical skills.

Employers in Canada are for the most part satisfied with those skills. However, this is not the case with “soft” skills (Empey 2008):

More than one-fifth of employers are dissatisfied with the nontechnical

skills of experienced engineers and technologists. For recent graduates, the proportion is one-third. By contrast, dissatisfaction with technical skills is much lower—5% or less for experienced engineers and technologists.

Most engineering positions require that the engineering graduate acquire

key soft skills—in addition to industry-specific and technological skills. Those soft skills include the ability to engage effectively in written and oral communications, contract administration, project management, teamwork, and business case analysis, among other things.

To progress in their careers, graduates must increase their skill depth (that

is, acquire specific industry and technology skills) and their skill breadth (that is, acquire soft skills). In Canada, the primary mechanism for obtaining these skills is through working as part of a team with more experienced engineers.

This method of learning is under threat because of the shortage of

experienced engineers with the patience and skills to coach and mentor new graduates. This shortage is caused by three trends: (1) larger number of engineers retiring from the profession, (2) reliance on foreign-trained engineers to offset the losses from the professions who often require training to adapt to work in Canada,

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and (3) the shortage of engineers with 6 to 10 years of experience (due to a reduction in the number of new hires during economic downtowns).

One way to offset this trend is to ensure that graduates benefit from the

knowledge and experience of senior staff without having to work on a team with them for protracted periods. To a certain degree this can be accomplished through a structured competency-based training program.

3.2 THE PROFESSIONAL REPSONSIBILITY ARGUMENT

Universities teach students to think; employers train students to be professionals. The measures used by universities to assess learning are primarily exams and projects, which are associated with a particular course. The measures used by professional bodies to assess competency may be a mix of exams, reports, interviews, and references. These professional bodies assess against a set of competencies that define professional practice (Dubois and Rothwell 2004):

Competencies are characteristics that individuals have and use in

appropriate, consistent ways in order to achieve desired performance. These traits include knowledge, skills, aspects of self-image, social motives, traits, thought patterns, mind-sets, and ways of thinking, feeling and acting.

The PEO (PEO 2009), like other engineering associations, relies on the

applicant’s referees and supervisors to (1) attest to the applicant’s character, and (2) assert that each portion of the work experience claimed by the applicant qualifies. Structured training provides a record that the applicant acquired the necessary competencies to practice a professional engineer.

3.3 THE FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY ARGUMENT

For new engineers possessing only the base set of skills from their university education, the ratio of the value of the employees’ time to their salaries is low. Initially the employer invests in employees to expand the depth and breadth of their skills until the ratio of the value of their work to their salaries reaches the target value.

This period is often followed by an interval when the value of their work

increases faster than their salary. This is because most employees progress very quickly in the first three years of their employment. These tend to be employees who come to the workplace with a well-developed set of soft skills and a strong work ethic.

If an employer concentrates on developing these employees, they can

grow even faster—thereby increasing the value of their time to their employer. This added benefit can then be used to fund graduate training. The best way to reward these high performers is to invest in their careers.

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Structured training programs also provide a map on how to recover from a situation where an employee is not developing as they should or have stalled in their career. Once the reasons for these problems have been determined, an individual training program can be assembled from the parts of the structured program to recover the situation.

A sustainable organization is one that develops and retains its staff.

Concentrating on assisting staff to deepen and broaden their skills as new graduate hires is more cost-effective than trying to recruit staff with these skills already in place. A structured, competency-based training program is the foundation of this wise investment.

4. FOUR PILLARS OF CONSULTING

A consulting firm has only two assets: its people and its reputation. A firm’s reputation is based on the performance of its people.

The focus of a structured training program is to develop and to retain new

graduates in the firm as they will assume key roles in the firm as other staff retire. The spectrum of competencies this requires is much broader than those required to be a professional engineer. The engineering associations are focused on whether an individual can make sound and ethical engineering judgments. A consulting firm is also concerned with whether an individual understands the business of engineering.

A consulting firm is built on four functions: • Business Development: Marketing and sale of engineering services • Technical Work: Production of engineering deliverables • Project Management: Management of budget, scope, and schedule • General Management: Management of people, resources, and

company systems These roles create the structure to deliver projects on time and on budget

while they also create the “chaos” to innovate and adapt to produce the best solution for the client.

Graduate engineers should demonstrate competencies in all four areas by

the time they have obtained professional status. As they continue in their careers, they may elect to assume a senior role in one of these four areas.

5. TRAINING

Employees normally receive training to achieve the following:

Increase their technical skill depth Improve the breadth of their soft skills Learn from project successes or failures

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Manage the quality of deliverables Manage project budget, schedule, and scope Obtain professional designations important for their roles (e.g., P.Eng.,

PMP) Familiarize themselves with embedded knowledge (e.g., specifications) Update legislative (e.g., WHIMIS) or client requirements (e.g., asbestos

awareness) There are 12 provincial and territorial licensing bodies that regulate the

engineering profession in Canada and license the country’s professional engineers. Seven have mandatory programs for reporting continuing professional development (EngineersCanada 2011). The other five have voluntary programs, and one—British Columbia—relies on a randomly selected mandatory practice review.

These requirements are coming into force partly to convince legislators

that the profession can and should remain self-regulated. As these requirements become more onerous, employees will look to their employers to help them acquire the necessary training (with proof) to satisfy these requirements. Therefore, all training will become more formalized than in the past. The establishment of a structured training program is the first step in this evolution.

6. CANADIAN AND UNITED KINGDOM (UK) COMPETENCIES

The core competencies for a chartered engineer (UK) and a professional engineer (Ontario) are similar. Both bodies expand on these competencies to clarify what they require of applicants. Engineer firms in the UK base their structured training programs on this expanded list of competencies. Canadian engineering firms should adopt the same approach.

7. STRUCTURED TRAINING PROGRAM

A structured training program extends over two to four years. This program is ’structured’ in that training is built on a core set of competencies. The training follows the same model shown in Figure 1. The program is expressed as a “training matrix”.

A training matrix consists of the following items:

Category: Business development, technical, project management, management

Learning Activity: Description of activity Method of Learning: How learning is delivered (e.g., internal

course, site placement) Learning Solutions: Details of solution (e.g., place, time required,

instructor)

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Assessment: How learning will be assessed (e.g., exam, report, demonstration)

Competence Standards: Tick the ones being satisfied by this activity

Recommended Year of Training: The program year in which the activity is to take place

8. EXAMPLES

Example 1: How to prepare design calculations using Excel A graduate engineer should be able to lay out design calculations in Excel

as per the pertinent quality management system procedure. The training would be delivered by internal staff in the first year of the program. The participants would submit samples of their work after the training to be assessed.

Example 2: Geotechnical report literacy A graduate engineer should be able to understand, on a basic level, a

geotechnical report. The training would be delivered by internal geotechnical staff in the

second or third year of the program. The participants would be given a short exam at the end of the training.

Example 3: How to conduct a meeting A graduate engineer should be able to establish an agenda, conduct a

meeting, and prepare minutes. The training would be delivered in the first year, during working lunch sessions. The participants would be asked to chair and prepare minutes for a meeting in the following six months.

Example 4: Site Experience In the first and second year, the participant should spend at least one

month on site. The participants would be asked to keep a log book and report on their experience.

Example 5: Using a wastewater simulator during design The participants would be sent to attend a vendor’s introductory course in

the second year, and the vendor’s advanced course in the last year of the program. The participant must have first demonstrated competency in two areas—wastewater characterization, and steady-state design of an activated sludge process—before being sent on to attend the other course.

Example 6: Costing a project Participants would be taken through a recent cost estimate for a project

over the course of one morning. The participants would then be given a small project to cost. Their spreadsheets would be assessed by the instructor.

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9. CASE HISTORY – AECOM AUSTRALIA

9.1 INTRODUCTION

Unlike Canada, Australia adopted the United Kingdom’s more onerous approach to professional accreditation. Engineers Australia requires applicants to:

Submit 6 month training reports, Prove that they obtain 50 hours of Continuous Professional Development

per year, and Attend a professional interview after three years of professional work

experience. The Graduate must be registered with Engineers Australia to be part of the

Professional Development Program that leads to accreditation (i.e. Chartership). Engineers Australia releases a quarterly report to AECOM outlining the progress of employees involved in the Professional Development Program.

Engineers Australia evaluates the candidate against a set of competencies

which are similar but not identical to those used by AECOM. Engineers Australia is currently modifying their competencies through a consultation process in order to better determine “that the engineering practitioner is capable of working unsupervised, independently or under general direction.” The consultation is also looking at an online method to assess competency.

9.2 EMPLOYEE SURVEY AND ASSESSMENT

AECOM regularly survey’s its staff to identifies what is working and what needs improvement.

One comment from a survey of Graduate Engineers in AECOM Australia

was that they wanted a more structured approach, similar to what their counterparts in the United Kingdom would have. In response, AECOM conducted an internal audit and concluded that there were a number of broad business and self development related courses specifically for Graduate Engineers. The courses were delivered based on local demand and not packaged as part of a Graduate training program. AECOM concluded that the delivery of these courses to Graduate engineers would be more beneficial if the courses were part of such a program.

9.3 GROWING PROFESSIONAL SKILLS PROGRAM

AECOM assembled these courses into a framework that addressed basic core Engineer Australia and AECOM competencies. The delivery of the courses arranged based on years since graduation and were not linked to promotion. The courses are not specific to a business line or an engineering discipline (Figure 2).

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FIGURE 2 GROWING PROFESSIONAL SKILLS PROGRAM

The Graduate remains in the program for three years. The Graduate is taught to manage their career.

The delivery of the program relies on five components (Figure 3).

FIGURE 3 GROWING PROFESSIONAL SKILLS COMPONENTS

At the core of the program, is the relationship between the Graduate and a Mentor. Mentoring is seen as the thought provoking contact with more

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experienced professionals out of the Graduate’s day to day management to help provide clarity and guidance on the Graduate’s chosen next steps. The mentor is a resource that facilitates learning, while nurturing, challenging, supporting, advising and developing the Graduate. The mentor also assists the Graduate in achieving professional accreditation. The Graduate, not the Mentor, manages the Graduate’s career.

The other four components are

1. GPS Committee and Coordinators: Enrollment in a three year program targeted at the development of the Graduate Engineer’s career. Enrollment enables AECOM to organize when and where courses are offered. The GPS committee is also a more effective interface with Engineers Australia.

2. Learning and Development: Learning (e.g. course, e-learning) is focussed on developing those professionals and technical competencies that are highly valued by AECOM and its clients. Business line or discipline specific training is provided by coaching from senior staff while working on projects and discipline specific courses. The delivery of these courses is not managed by the GPS committee.

3. Networking: Networking opportunities to enable the Graduate to develop their internal network with other professionals within AECOM key to their career aspirations within AECOM. The objective is to make Graduates more comfortable emailing or calling senior staff in other offices when they have questions or concerns.

4. Professional Accreditation: Assistance with the Graduate’s interface with Engineers Australia and their requirements. Ultimately, the GPS program will be formally linked with AECOM’s

Performance Appraisal and Career Planning System.

9.4 NEXT STAGE

The next stage is to use the GPS Program to deliver technical competencies specific to a business line.

This requires the construction of a “competency dictionary” for each

discipline within a business line. This is a complicated task that is being done now.

Once the dictionary is agreed, a “Training Matrix” will be developed that identifies how the training will be delivered and assessed. This matrix will require the development of new courses where materials are not available through the Technical Practices Network, Intranet or captured in Design Manuals and Quality Management Standards.

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9.5 SUMMARY

The approach taken by AECOM Australia was to create a self managed structured training program based on available non-Business Line training. The three year program relies on a mentor to guide the graduate, existing courses to provide learning and networking opportunities to sustain the Graduate’s career when the three years are finished. The program also assists the Graduate in meeting Engineers Australia’s requirements for accreditation.

The next step is to graft onto this program a structured technical training

program based on business line specific competencies. This will enhance the learning the Graduate’s currently receives through coaching from senior staff while working on projects.

The approach taken by AECOM Australia is being evaluated by other

parts of AECOM that do not have a mature structured training program for Graduates. The approach is attractive because it organizes existing resources, targets Graduates engineers and optimizes the use of senior of senior staff’s time and leaves the Graduate in control of their career.

10. CONCLUSION

A competency-based structured training program is an effective tool to retain staff, develop a sustainable organization, and ensure personnel are ready to assume their roles as professional engineers. The program pays for itself by retaining staff in an organization that invests in their careers and reaps the benefits of their increased productivity.

11. REFERENCES

AECOM (2011). Growing Professional Skills Graduate Program (ANZ). Program Overview. AECOM Australia Pty Ltd

Empey, B. (2008). Engineers and Engineering Technicians and

Technologists (ETT) Labour Market Tracking System: Labour Market Conditions - 2008 to 2011

Engineers Australia (2012) http://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/.

Accessed February 12, 2012. Engineers Canada (2009). Guideline for Assessment of Engineering Work

Experience. Ottawa, ON, engineers canada/ingénieurs canada EngineersCanada (2011). "STATUS TABLE. Continuing Professional

Development Programs in Canadian Engineering Associations ". from http://www.engineerscanada.ca/e/files/statustable_eng.pdf.

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PEO (2009). Guide to the Required Experience for Licensing as a

Professional Engineer in Ontario. Toronto, Ontario, Association of Professional Engineers of Ontario.

Petrin, R. (2008). On line course. Mentoring Success: Maximizing Your

Mentoring Experience. http://www.management-mentors.com/about/about-management-mentors/.