ICEE 2005

Reflections on the Attractiveness of the Civil Engineering Profession

FG BaronR Reinecke

CJ Kerr

INTRODUCTION

• An ongoing topic within EUCEET discussions, based on the following types of topic:

• Student numbers declining?

• Recruitment/retention problems in Industry?

• Other professions more highly respected?

• Attractiveness is how others perceive us

• Others: actual/potential students, the general public, politicians, other professionals

IS THERE A PROBLEM?

• Early debates suggest a mixed view

• Look at existing material

• Snapshot of informed opinion

• ECCE Role: Ask the national representatives

• Ask potential and actual students

COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA

• Gathering opinions not necessarily facts

• Trying to contact people outside our group and sphere of interest

• Different interpretations and understanding of English

• Different sample sizes, from 10-750

• Methodology; hindsight as a wonderful thing

• Scope and scale of project proved daunting

THE CURRENT STATUS OF THE PROFESSION – THE GOOD NEWS

• No particular downturn in applications

• Academic standards holding up

• Enough people going into the Profession

THE CURRENT STATUS OF THE PROFESSION – THE NOT-SO-GOOD NEWS

• Applications downturn in some ‘traditional’ areas

• Shortages in certain types of specialisations for Industry

• Very mixed views on quality of staff in the profession

• Level of salaries seen as a problem

• Engineering still seen as low status in some cases, compared to (say) Architecture

SCHOOL PUPILS ARE INFLUENCED BY:

• Perceptions of the prestige of the Profession they will enter

• Perceived attractiveness of that Profession

• Potential for earning a good salary

• Suggestions from friends/parents important in some cases only

SCHOOL PUPILS ARE NOT INFLUENCED BY:

• Length and duration of studies

PUPILS VIEWS ON CIVIL ENGINEERING COURSES

• Difficult, interesting and useful for solving practical problems

• If not inclined towards engineering, then seen as difficult, boring and tedious

• 19-49 % Don’t know much about Civil Engineering

PUPIL’S VIEWS ON THE PROFESSION

• Good for solving practical problems

• Everything can be calculated and explained

• Not particularly seen as responsible for environmental damage

• Not recognised as able to remediate it either

• Not thought of as poorly paid

VIEWS OF FIRST YEAR STUDENTS

• Prestigious, difficult, forward-looking, central to the solution of infrastructure problems

• But also responsible for environmental damage• Scope for international work, mobility, teamwork

and collaboration with other Professions• Mixed views on IT-involvement• Mixed views on political involvement• Not seen as dirty and poorly paid• Civil Engineers more pro, others more anti or

ignorant

CONCLUSIONS

• Not as bad as some expected

• Perhaps improved since 5 years ago

• Significant levels of ignorance

• Some worries about quality of engineers and shortages of specialists

• Quite positive views of what we do

• Some worries about responsibility and impacts on the environment

• It’s the money, stupid!

WHAT SHOULD WE DO NOW?

• Publicity and promotional activities in schools

• Make it clearer what we do and why our work is important

• Civil Engineer role models• Lobbying of Government and Regulatory

Bodies• Salaries