ENGINEERSIN SEARCH OF REVOLUTION

MECHANICAL ENGINEERS

PRODUCTION ENGINEER

ELECTRONICS ENGINEER

DESIGN ENGINEER

CIVIL ENGINEER

COMMUNICATION FOR ENGINEERS

TEAM WORK FOR ENGINEERS

ACTIVE LISTENING FOR ENGINEERS

SOFT SKILLS HARD RESULTS

WHAT EXPERTS SAY……. for 21ST CENTURY ENGINEERS

Kalani Jones, Engineering Vice President at Tachyon Inc. (San Diego)

"We look for people who can lead a team, someone who can get a small team—four to six people—motivated and a person who can quickly learn which people are best at doing what”

John Reinert, Engineering Manager at Aeroflex UTMC Microelectronics in Colorado Springs, Colorado

"The soft skills are just as important as engineering skills"

"At a start-up a small company trying to win

contracts, it's important to know how to use these skills very efficiently. Conflict resolution also comes into play during some contract negotiations, although most people think of conflict resolution [as something that happens] mainly within their own offices."

Vern R. Johnson, Associate Dean at the University of Arizona's College of Engineering (Tucson) "Many employers choose to hire skills

rather than people”"The new skilled/global engineers must

keep track of what is happening in the global market to determine gaps in their knowledge, skills and attitudes so they will know where to focus their learning. They must become experts with career development so they can strategically plan their employment and learning activities, and they must learn how to learn so they can fill their learning gaps."

Joseph Lillie, area manager at Bellsouth in Lafayette, Lousianna

"The key non-technical skills I prefer to see people polish are public speaking, written communications and ethics. The goofball in that bunch is ethics, which I define as doing the right thing. But the key thing is that along with your technical skills, you've got to be prepared for the times when personal skills come into play."

CASE STUDY

With an Mechanical Engineering degree from Arizona State University, Ahmad started as a production engineer.

His education had not completely prepared him for workplace realities. "You come out of school and you think you know things," Ahmad said. "And then you join the real world, and it's completely different.“

Ahmad said. "It was not always about the technical

aspect of things, although that was a lot of it."

But Ahmad also sought pointers on soft skills, including how to get along with managers, customers and co-workers.

ROLE OF ENGINEERS CHANGE OVER THE CENTURIES

PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER

Second Half Of The 20th Century: SCIENTIFIC ENGINEER

By mid century, technological progress, including the successful harnessing of nuclear energy, as well as geopolitical realities as materialized by Sputnik, drove home the need for engineers to be well versed in science and mathematics and the engineering curriculum adjusted to the changed needs.

This structure has, to a large degree, continued until the present time, although “design” content increased slowly. In the early nineties it was clear that more than science was needed and many schools started to emphasize non-technical professional skills such as teamwork and communications

The 21st century: ENTREPRENEURIAL/ENTERPRISINGENGINEER

The rapid changes that the world is currently going through, coupled with changes in engineering education starting to take place in the nineties, are likely to result in an extensive re-engineering of engineering education. While the new structure will, almost certainly, continue to be based on a solid preparation in mathematics and sciences, it is likely to emphasize the professional role of the engineer, and then demand new qualifications suited for the new world order.

What are employers looking for in an engineering graduate?

• "Graduates that tend to be successful normally have a sound grasp of the importance of customers.“

-Martin Dare, Director, Solution Partners Organisation, Hewlett Packard Australia

• We look for engineers who not only have excelled in their studies but exhibit excellent interpersonal skills.

- Lauren Jones from Huntsman Corporation Australia

What are employers looking for in an engineering graduate?

• "Brief knowledge of the interviewing organisation's activities and background, a positive attitude and display of confidence in the graduate's own abilities impress the interviewing panel."

- Amal Hanna, Manager of TeleGrid for TransGrid and Vice-President of Engineers Australia

• "Graduates who have experience of working in teams are highly regarded...“

- Michael, IBM Corporation, Officer in charge of graduate recruitment

The Engineering Graduate Today

Firms look for skills and attributes in two broad areas:I) Defining skills- Technical skills- a sound knowledge of the engineering fundamentals within their discipline, built on a solid basis of mathematical know-how.

II) Enabling skills- Soft Skills-

ABET EC-2000 Criteria

Program Outcomes and Assessment for

Engineering programs

a) An ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering.

b) An ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyse and interpret data.

c) An ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs.

d) An ability to function on multi-disciplinary teams.

e) An ability to identify, formulate and solve engineering problems

f) An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility.

g) An ability to communicate effectively.

h) The broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global and societal context.

i) Recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in life-long learning.

j) A knowledge of contemporary issues.

k) An ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice.

The Entrepreneurial Engineer Of The Twenty-first Century

Knows Everything —can find information about anything quickly and knows how to evaluate and use the information. The entrepreneurial engineer has the ability to transform information into knowledge.

Can Do Anything —understands the engineering basics to the degree that he or she can quickly assess what needs to be done, can acquire the tools needed, and can use these tools proficiently.

Works With Anybody Anywhere —has the communication skills, team skills, and understanding of global and current issues necessary to work effectively with other people.

Imagines And Can Make The Imagination A Reality —has the entrepreneurial spirit, the imagination, and the managerial skills to identify needs, come up with new solutions, and see them through.

ENGINEERS OF THE FUTURE They must be able to do more than just

perform technical tasks. They will be responsible for creating new

ideas and solutions and seeing them through. Not only must the engineer innovate, he or

she must be able to help the innovation become a reality.

FUTURE ENGINEERING CHALLENGES In 21st century, the societal needs regarding

energy resources, transportation, housing needs, packaging materials/recycling, and biomaterials and health will grow rapidly. The challenges we face for a sustainable development of the globe are immense.

These challenges can be tackled through engineering profession. So the case for engineering as an enabling profession for sustainable development of the globe.

The education of engineers is therefore critical to every nation to ensure the prosperity of their citizens.