How To Help Improve The Career Prospects Of An Engineering Degree

Transcription

1 Engineering? No thanks! I want to do something creative! Nigel Akam Department of Electronics and Electrical Engineering Universities of Glasgow and Strathclyde SYNOPSIS/ABSTRACT The major decline in young people taking up science, engineering and technology subjects in later stages of education is well documented in most developed countries. Engineering in particular suffers from a major perception problem amongst young people which is particularly acute for Electronic and Electrical Engineering (EEE). This paper will describe a project, initially sponsored by Scottish Enterprise, to address undergraduate recruitment on behalf of Glasgow and Strathclyde Universities EEE departments. The scope of the project covers the whole student recruitment chain from school pupil subjects / careers decision making process through to student retention and graduate job prospects. The key project objectives are defined as follows: Draft a medium / long term strategic EEE recruitment document Develop a recruitment practices guide for the two departments The paper will also describe some pilot activities undertaken during the past year to try out parts of the strategy and explore new areas of opportunity. 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background Many reasons have been put forward for the decline in young people taking up science, engineering and technology (SET) subjects as a study and/or career choice. The title of this paper was one of the comments received by the author from a pupil at a university open day in September It was in response to asking whether the pupil would be interested in one of the courses within the Electronic and Electrical Engineering (EEE) Department. A public poll some years ago found Britain s best known engineer was Kevin Webster, the car mechanic from Coronation Street. With this confusion it is hardly surprising that young people are turning their backs on engineering careers. In addition, many teachers, parents and the public in general have similar perceptions about engineering perceptions which do not match the reality of a multi-skilled, dynamic and challenging profession that is vital to the UK economy. In Scotland, the specific decline in Electronic and Electrical Engineering has been the focus of considerable Scottish Enterprise activity in recent years due to the importance of EEE and associated industries to the Scottish Economy (1). The long-term strategy is to encourage the growth of highly skilled design, technology and product development jobs, from both indigenous Scottish companies and appropriate new inward investment. In order to compete in these high technology industries and retain the associated intellectual capital, Scottish

2 Enterprise has sponsored the first year of a project to address undergraduate recruitment on behalf of Glasgow and Strathclyde EEE departments with a view to sharing the results and benefits with other Higher Education organisations. 1.2 Initial Pilot Project The overall project requirement was defined as : Develop a medium to long term strategy for increasing the number and recruitment of high quality students in EEE. The project was executed with a small core team consisting of one full time project manager and two part time members from each university EEE department. In addition, a Steering Committee, consisting of the Heads of each University EEE department and a representative from Scottish Enterprise, was formed to oversee the project and this has met regularly throughout the year. In parallel to the strategy document, the team has also developed a draft recruitment practices guide to assist the two departments. 2. STUDY APPROACH 2.1 Methodology Information was gathered from a wide range of sources and, to simplify the process, was distilled into 3 key areas these are shown in Figure 1 together with some of the findings within these areas and the approach taken in developing the key strategies : The Problem : Public Perception of EEE EEE career opportunities / (Scottish) industry future? Reach of EEE technology in modern world EEE careers gatekeepers : Parents Teachers Pupils / peers Careers Officers Lack of positive EEE role models Glasgow - a technology city? Public Perception of EEE The Problem : University recruitment processes Recruitment activity crucial to departments survival? University / Faculty marketing / advertising strategy? Limited (declining?) catchment area Glasgow s reputation? (to live & study in) Student retention focus? Scholarship / sponsorship support Undergraduate future costs / funding problems? University Recruitment processes The Problem : Education System Engineering not in school vocabulary (Perceived as hard, boring, low status) Decline in Science, Engineering & Technology teacher numbers Teachers not comfortable to talk about EEE careers / teach latest material? Reducing numbers taking Higher Physics / very low Tech Studies Low numbers of engineering-based Work Experience placements Declining university / pupil contact opportunities? Education System Many support functions now centralised (eg Careers Scotland) Recommended Approach S S S Public Perception of EEE Education System Target those strategies that have maximum impact on 2 or more main problem areas - make these Key Strategies (K) - make others Support Strategies (S) K University Recruitment processes S S S S Figure 1 : Key Strategy Areas

3 2.2 Specific Scottish Problems Scotland has some specific problems that accentuate the recruitment problem : The word engineering does not appear in the Scottish education vocabulary and is therefore not understood by many school pupils. (There are no Standard Grades or Highers in Engineering available in Scotland, whereas it is possible to take a GSCE in Engineering in England). In addition, it is being superseded in many sections of the media by the word technology as highlighted in a recent article published by the Royal Academy of Engineering (2). Both Glasgow and Strathclyde EEE departments have a very high intake of undergraduates from Glasgow and the West of Scotland area (>60%). The most recent government census (3) indicates that the Scottish population has declined by 2% over the last decade, and it is predicted that the number of 18 year olds in this catchment area will decline even more rapidly over the next decade due to a falling birth rate. It is therefore imperative that both departments target students from a much wider area. New approaches have been investigated that will allow EEE departments to get involved with recruitment at a national level (as well as locally) by working with establish organisations. There are many factors affecting a student s decision-making process for both the course subject and the university. Evidence from a numbers of studies indicates that parents still have the largest influence on the course selection (followed by teachers, peers and careers officers), but not on the choice of university. o The factor most influencing subject choice was career prospects. It is therefore important that EEE career prospects are properly communicated to all parts of society to maintain demand for these courses. Negative media publicity, particularly surrounding high profile closures within the Scottish electronics industry, such as Motorola, NEC, Compaq etc, has had an adverse effect on this recently. 3. SUMMARISED RESULTS The next two sub-sections summarise the Key Recruitment Strategies and Recruitment Practice Guidelines that have been developed to assist with this task. These two items, while complementary, operate at different levels. Key Recruitment Strategies o These define the principle actions that need to be taken in specific areas of the student recruitment supply chain. They are equally applicable to other engineering or science disciplines, and at other universities. Recruitment Practice Guidelines o These translate those strategies that are applicable at a department level into action points, together with examples and some key metrics (where applicable) that will help monitor progress. 3.1 Summarised Key Recruitment Strategies This section contains 7 key action areas that require attention over a sustained period of time to turnaround the decline in the numbers of young people choosing EEE as a study area and career.

4 3.1.1 Make recruitment an ongoing (equal) top Departmental Management priority. Communicate to all staff : successful recruitment is crucial to department survival Involvement must be recognised and rewarded Use specialist staff to administer the process against an agreed timetable Develop effective, wider ranging sustainable education contact strategies through national organisations and programmes to help promote careers in EEE. Will provide longer term sustainable education contacts Opportunities to publicise courses and careers options nationwide to school pupils at key stages in the education system Develop and / or improve sustainable links with local schools by offering ongoing assistance with curriculum related activities and Teachers Continuing Professional Development (CPD). Provision of facilities, equipment and assistance to support curriculum Offer training and placements for science teachers as part of their In Service and CPD programmes Optimise the transition from school to university by improving the interface between the final two school years and the first year (EEE) engineering courses. Involve school staff in structuring some first year teaching Encourage EEE departments to provide support for school physics projects Lobby government to provide centralised support for school / first year transition Develop plans that will help offset the increasing undergraduate costs and graduate debt problems that are threatening to reduce the already diminishing pool of school leavers considering a university education. Refocused scholarship / sponsorship programmes Provide additional help for remote students Radically review the various methods of advertising employed by Departments, Faculties and Universities to communicate courses, career opportunities and graduate successes in a meaningful, relevant way. Novel use of local and mass media School communications Targeted individual contacts Lobby key government departments for a coordinated action to change the public perception of EEE as an exciting, fulfilling career with long term employment prospects and demand for quality graduates. Industry image Job prospects and remuneration Positive (media) role models for young people 3.2 Summarised Best Practice Guidelines The Best Practice Guide is a summary of information gathered from a range of sources. It aims to give an outline of key areas that need to be addressed within the EEE departments, but is also applicable to most other departments involved in the teaching of Science, Engineering and Technology (SET). For simplicity it is organised as a 10-point plan that covers the

5 spectrum of student recruitment. Due to space constraints, only the main headings and one or two action areas are shown for each point Make department recruitment a top long-term department priority. o Driven personally by the Head of Department o Funded, dedicated resources for department recruitment activities Develop a Recruitment Career Structure that is seen by staff as career enhancing and both recognises and rewards successful staff involvement. o Involve staff at all levels in various activities o Include activities in staff job descriptions Recruit a full time (non-academic) person to run all the associated administration and communications against a documented annual recruitment timetable. o Covering the full range of recruitment activities o Prior to admission / after admission / other activities Implement a sustainable Student Retention Programme to reduce drop out. o Covering university administration and enrolment processes o Importance of an effective Absence Monitoring & Follow-up process Improve Open / Interview Days to raise the profile of the department to potential students. o Areas for improvement covering communications, contacts, demos etc Optimise the transition from school to university by improving the interface between the final 2 school years and the first year (EEE) engineering courses. o Involving school staff in structuring parts of the first year university teaching o Improving Student Induction programmes Change university teaching methods to a more group organised approach, particularly for first year students. o Use of small interactive groups o Delivery of course materials Raise the department s profile through ongoing involvement in education programmes at both national and local levels. o Key examples within Primary / Secondary Schools o Opportunities through the Science & Engineering Ambassadors scheme Raise the department s profile / impact on Directors of Education, Head Teachers, Science / Technology Advisors and teaching staff by regular involvement with teacher training and CPD activities. o University Departments of Education o Careers Scotland Teachers CPD events o Physics Summer School etc Develop novel methods of department advertising and personally targeted communications with potential and current students. o Department / school / personalised communications

6 4. CONTACT WITH KEY ORGANISATIONS The task of reversing the decline in young people taking up further study in SET subjects cannot be handled in isolation. In order to maximise the effectiveness of scarce university resources, a coordinated effort of several organisations is required at various levels of the recruitment supply chain. There are many different organisations and programmes in place to encourage young people towards engineering and technology, some with a lack of coordination and purpose. These activities are often referred to as Engineering Education Schemes (EES). Several reports in the past have questioned the effectiveness of having so many Schemes. Brian E Woolnough (4) estimated that with all EES s put together, pupil involvement was probably <5% of the secondary school population (approximately 316,000 pupils) in Scotland in One of the major work items of the project has been to assess a wide range of groups involved in this area and recommend those with which long-term relationships should be established. A selection of organisations has been made by ensuring they meet certain criteria. They should be : Established for a reasonable period of time and have a good track record Properly funded and hence have a sustainable future Have a clear mandate for their role Target different specific sectors of the recruitment supply chain The following organisations have been selected. Careers Scotland (CS) see section 5.1 Independent Schools Careers Organisation (ISCO) see section 5.2 Scottish Engineering o The major support and lobbying organisation for the manufacturing engineering industry in Scotland Science, Engineering, Technology and Mathematics Network (SETNET) o An organisation charged with stimulating the enthusiasm of young school-aged people in the specific Science, Engineering, Technology and Maths subjects via its network of 53 SETPOINTS throughout the UK High Technology Talent Strategy Board for Scotland (HTTSBS) o Set up in 2002 to secure the supply of suitably qualified and motivated individuals to support the activities of the microelectronics, optoelectronics and communication technologies Glasgow Science Centre (GCS) o Dedicated to working in partnership with teachers and offering a programme of curriculum-linked activities for Pre-school, Primary and Secondary-aged pupils. 5. PILOT ACTIVITIES OVERVIEW Within the initial year of the project a number of activities have been piloted to put into practice some of the suggested approaches. This has helped build contacts with other key

7 organisations and give the team members experience in different strategy areas. Two examples are summarised below. 5.1 Careers Scotland (CS) Formed just over two years ago by combining over 80 separate organisations within Scotland including Education Business Partnerships and local Schools Careers Services. It is part of Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. CS has partnership agreements with local authorities and every secondary school in Scotland and is planning partnership agreements with groups of primary schools. CS runs, or financially assists, a number of activities targeted at different educational groups Make it in Scotland S2 Roadshow o Careers awareness event for all S2 (13 / 14 year old) pupils in Scotland focus in 2003 was manufacturing opportunities o For the Glasgow area this covered approximately 12,000 pupils o Joint Glasgow / Strathclyde EEE department presentation called Chips for Everyone o Original demonstration developed jointly by Robert Clarke Centre for Technological Education (Dr Jane Magill) and Glasgow EEE Department (Dr Scott Roy) o Designed to show the principles of how microchips found in everyday items (mobile phones, PlayStations, etc) are manufactured and the wide range of electronics careers available o Opportunity to pilot this activity at two 3-day events in the Glasgow area in February / March 2003 o Has developed good contacts with Careers Scotland for future activities o Did provide shallow and wide awareness contact with approximately 450 S2 pupils o Major benefit was the chance to talk to 30+ teachers about careers in electronics etc 5.2 Independent Schools Careers Organisation (ISCO) A National organisation providing a range of careers services to nearly 400 registered independent schools. Approximately 1500 students enrol annually in the ISCO Student Scheme. Amongst a range of national programmes, it organises Careers Experience Days which provide a unique opportunity for students in their last two years of study, to experience the nature of the work or study undertaken in various occupations or subject areas, and to look at the environment in which they are carried out, and the entry requirements needed. By taking part they learn about the challenges and opportunities facing school leavers and graduates in the employment market, and the career developments which are open to those who perform well. Until this year there had not been an event for engineering in Scotland Engineering Careers Experience Day The programme, held at Strathclyde University on June 19 th 2003, was designed to give practical experience to attendees in one of the three main engineering discipline (of their choice where possible) rather than 3 shorter periods being shown around Civil, Mechanical and Electrical / Electronic Engineering areas. o Encouraging first off event with 22 out of 24 registered delegates attending o Engineering preferences received from 23 out of 24 students : First preferences : Electrical / Electronic : 2 / Mechanical : 16 / Civil : 5 o Decision taken to make 3 teams of 8 to allow maximum hands-on in each group o 8 students moved from Mechanical to their second choice

8 o Positive feedback from ISCO on the day and from their official feedback forms - all students thought it worthwhile and would recommend friends to attend a similar event. Main concern was with those students who didn t get their first choice placement. 6. NEXT STEPS The turnaround of EEE departments will take several years to achieve and university management and funding bodies must realise that departments will run below optimum headcount during this period and thus require specific support. In addition, the Scottish Executive (and subsequently the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council) must provide a clear, long-term policy for (EEE) engineering in Scotland or else it is at risk of dropping below critical mass in EEE education and skills. o The problem of Public Perception of EEE is one that is greater than a single Department or University can handle alone and must be tackled at a national level, with the full support of government, industry and academia, over a sustained period of time. To this end, links have been developed with national organisations that are already involved in this area. It is imperative that these interfaces are maintained and extended over the foreseeable future. o Changes to the University Recruitment Process, particularly at the department level, can be made within a much shorter time span and start to have a positive effect over the medium to long term. Most of the recommendations in the Recruitment Practices Guidelines can be implemented with the existing staff, provided they take ownership and are given consistent management support. o In the long term, interface with, and impact on, the Education System will have the largest effect. This, however, will take a number of years to achieve because of the size of the education sector and the complexity of making changes within and across it. Contacts have been established with a number of key organisations in this field and it is important that these are developed and extended further to achieve the long-term objectives of the project. 7. REFERENCES 1. A High Technology Talent Strategy for Scotland Scottish Enterprise (in consultation), November 2001 by Scientific Generics Limited, Cambridge CB2 5GG 2. The Universe of Engineering A UK Perspective Published by The Royal Academy of Engineering, June 2000 ISBN X 3. Scottish Census 2001 Population Report Available from : 4. Evaluation of Engineering Education Schemes in Scotland Brian E Woolnough, Oxford University Department of Education Studies, 1998

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