prospects for mechatronics graduates? how do we improve them? james trevelyan november 2009
Post on 19-Dec-2015
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TRANSCRIPT
Conclusions of this and related work
• We have a plentiful reservoir of ‘other’-employed engineering graduates.
• Engineering employment eludes the majority.
• Canada and some other countries retain more graduates in engineering.
• Cultural background seems to determine engineering and related management employment.
• Engineering education in Australia makes no difference to prospects for migrants (compared to education at home)!
Questions
• Why do we see these results?
• Why is (was) there a skills shortage?
• Longitudinal Study of Engineering Graduates
What do engineers really do?
To Engineer is Human*
* Petroski, H. (1985). To Engineer is Human: The Role of Failure in Successful Design. New York, St Martin's Press.
but…
novice
V
Motivation
• Concerns at education misalignment?
• What do engineers do?
• Transition to practice?
• Where are our engineers?
Significance
• help us understand what training is effective
• make the transition easier
• explain the relevance of coursework to students
• improve curriculum design
• explain attrition loss to other occupations?
Aims of Study
• What do novices do?
• What training do they receive?
• What do they learn by other means?
• Perceived deficiencies in undergraduate education.
• Career trajectories.
• Engineering education continues after graduation….. even in the workplace
Method
• 204 participants (participation rate 67% steady after 2.5 years), all disciplines
• 3 –4 surveys each year
• Electronic surveys (& some interviews)
• Qualitative and quantitative questions
Aspects of Engineering Practice
• Coordinationtelephone calls, visits, supervision, meetings, site engineering, monitoring, advocacy, procedures, team work, networking, mentoring
• Engineering Processmanagement systems, project management, change management, configuration control, documentation management, maintenance management, operations management, inventory & logistics
• Design, Review, Testdesign, detailing, review, check compliance with standards, research, component knowledge, testing, commissioning
Working Hours
• Average paid hours/week: 42
• Average unpaid o’time/week: 8
• Highest total 88,
• 10% > 60hrs, 7% < 40 hrs
Main Results
• 60% of time spent on human interaction
– Approx half in real time (face to face, phone)– Approx half through documents, messages– Approx half represents informal technical
coordination, e.g. seeking information from others, getting work done, delivering results on time, detecting and correcting misunderstandings etc.
• 9% of time spent working with hardware
– Rest is desk work or meetings
• 4% average on design & coding (mechatronics 8%)
• 3-18% on calculation & modelling (EE 3%, Petroleum highest)
Some mechatronic graduates in the study
Large automation & controls MNCIndustrial automation & controls, offshore instrumentation commissioning
Large Australian-owned mining company Electrical & controls project engineering, maintenance
Small technology start-upResearch & development on semi-autonomous vehicles, iPhone applications programming
Large engineering MNCInstrumentation & controls, control system design, documentation, writing installation and operation manuals
Large automation & controls MNCIndustrial automation & controls, installation and upgrades to advanced technology equipment
Small instrumentation & controls company SCADA and control systems for small shipsEngineering contracting company Project engineering for large MNC engineering clientsEngineering construction EPCM Project construction engineer
Large engineering MNCHazard and safety systems for offshore and onshore gas plants
Large engineering MNCOwner engineering team gas turbine power plant, business development with new clients
More graduates (total 120 being followed)
Large engineering MNCInstallation of complex instrumentation and controls on offshore equipment, well head completions
Accounting MNC Company performance improvement projects
Large automation & controls MNCOn-site commissioning of advanced control systems software (overseas)
Large materials manufacturer Reliability and maintenance engineering
Large engineering MNC Owner engineering team for wind farm development
Small engineering design consulancyInstrumentation and controls for high-tech railway monitoring systems
Large engineering MNC Corporate strategy, business development
Large mining & resources companyAsset management, development of simulators to forecast commercial and technical performance
Conclusions So Far
• Diversity
• Consistency (averages)
• Insufficient learning opportunities
• Nearly all GDPs could be greatly improved
• Awareness gaps?
GDP = Graduate Development Programme
Recent Developments
• Course experience results for engineering are uniformly poor across Australia
• Mismatch in expectations of graduates
• Communication skill requirements are grossly misunderstood
• Australian engineering projects are failing because of poor communication skills
• Recent education research shows ways to significantly improve teaching effectiveness in technical fundamentals, improving professional skills at the same time.
Recent Feedback
• Novice engineers don’t seem to understand how to create value for clients
• Employers are worried but find it difficult to articulate their concerns
• Key mechatronics stakeholders are concerned at graduate abilities, particularly in technical abilities
• Team projects are reinforcing bad behaviour patterns
What do you need to do?
• Start learning about teaching methods known to improve results:
– Cooperative learning– Peer instruction– Variation theory
• Link development of teaching skill to performance evaluation
• Focus on effective learning of technical fundamentals
– Threshold concepts – useful tool
• Study what your graduates are actually doing.
• Teach them effective listening and coordination skills.