EPC

1
EPC

• Engineering in higher education what changes are
  needed? (back to the future?)
• Clive Neal-Sturgess
• Member EPC Future Degrees Working Group

2
Engineering in higher education what changes are
needed?

• Is there a need to change? YES
• Why back to the future?
• I believe we have been there and backed off!
• Bologna 900th anniversary
• Bologna students determined curriculum Law and
  Medicine
• Paris staff determined curriculum Theology
• Bachelors degrees because they were!
• Magister ( Masters) degrees because they needed
  experience of the real world before they could
  practice!!

3
Engineering in higher education what changes are
needed?

• The need for change views
• Government failing economy
• Is this a need to change HE?
• NO - due to means of production migrating
• Need highly skilled workforce for the economy
• No direct evidence (HoC Select Committee)
• Leitch etc.
• Need to reskill
• What level
• Largely anecdotal
• Universities to work closer with industry???

4
Engineering in higher education what changes are
needed?

• Too low research investment (UK EC)
• Power law statistics
• JLR 4, Toyota 8 SMEs zero
• Industry - perceived skill gaps
• Largely anecdotal evidence
• Professional Bodies
• Concerns over future international quality
  comparisons
• Accreditation

5
Engineering in higher education what changes are
needed?

• Royal Academy of Engineering
• Educating Engineers for the 21st Century
• US NAE Vision 2020
• Bologna
• Universities
• Are their graduates fit for purpose?
• Can we maintain standards
• Falling budgets
• Considerable body of opinion that change is
  required

6
Engineering in higher education what changes are
needed?

• Universities are autonomous businesss
• No one can tell them what to do
• Universities will not permit industry to
  determine curriculum
• Need meaningful dialogue
• A conversation is more than just an exchange of
  words
• Different Universities have different primary
  missions
• RAE facing
• International/Shanghai facing
• National/Business facing

7
Engineering in higher education what changes are
needed?

• Periodically engineering degrees are perceived to
  slip by international standards and need
  realigning
• Finniston Report was last seismic upheaval, 1979
  thro 80s
• Pressure mounting again
• EPC Future Degrees WG
• Gov and ECuk trying to keep status quo
• Gov. UK cant afford to change!
• ECuk wants to keep international parity with
  Washington Accord
• Evolution not revolution (Henley)

8
Engineering in higher education what changes are
needed?

• Spectrum of Universities
• Some work very closely with industry
• Not just new Universities
• mostly with large companies
• SMEs always a problem
• Need curricula that give graduates the widest
  employment opportunities possible
• Mech Eng Birmingham 155 final year
• probably 2030 industries
• Across SSCs

9
Engineering in higher education what changes are
needed?
RAEng Educating Engineers for the 21st century
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Engineering in higher education what changes are
needed?

• Little doubt that practical training has suffered
  over past 20 years
• Universities cant afford it
• Is this what is meant by Industry??
• Education vs training
• CAD jockeys
• Theoretical breadth of knowledge
• What Universities are good at
• Battle to maintain standards
• Creativity and team working
• Most universities trying to do this
• Business skills
• Most vocational departments trying to do this

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Engineering in higher education what changes are
needed?

• Areas of Concern
• Too few students
• Entry to Universities
• Undergraduate
• PG Taught
• Research
• got to move from 33 to 323

12
Engineering in higher education what changes are
needed?

• Too few Students
• Cant be cured by running attractive degrees
• Capacity already exists to take appropriately
  qualified students
• 50 HE participation implies University entry at
  5 C grade passes at GCSE level (Alan Ryan)
• Work to improve A Levels
• Engineering Diploma
• Work to change potential students perceptions
• Many fragmented attempts
• Joined up thinking

13
Engineering in higher education what changes are
needed?

• Undergraduate
• Timescales
• 1-2 years planning approval
• 1-2 years to advertise and recruit
• 4 years to graduate (Meng)
• Total 6-8 years
• What will the industrial spectrum look like in
  8-10 years time - 2020???
• What skills will the graduates need ??
• Leave crystal balls in circuses

14
Engineering in higher education what changes are
needed?

• Undergraduate degrees
• Wide curricula for wide employment prospects
• Accreditation requirements
• Cannot design undergraduate degrees on narrow
  criteria
• Wont recruit / be sustainable
• Standards
• Constant battle against changed standards on
  entry

15
Engineering in higher education what changes are
needed?

• Entry to University
• Changed (Falling?) A level standards
• Maths and Physics (Mechanics)
• Most Universities have not fully adjusted to the
  changes
• Many still struggling
• Knock-on effects in all years
• Do we need 5 year degrees to keep standards?

16
Engineering in higher education what changes are
needed?

• Undergraduate degrees
• More practical experience
• More workshop training
• More industrial placements
• Better theoretical skills
• 5 year degrees?
• With integrated industrial experience
• Industry has got to collaborate fully
• Government has got to foot the bill

17
Engineering in higher education what changes are
needed?

• Postgraduate degrees
• MEng degrees
• Are we always meeting the QAA Benchmark?
• Now Bologna compliant
• QAA have now self certified
• Europe wont believe us
• MScs
• ECuk Work based MScs (IGDS model)
• Flexible, short lead times can respond to
  industry
• One year under pressure Bologna
• Norway not fit for PhD entry

18
Engineering in higher education what changes are
needed?

• There is a great deal going on
• Universities
• Depts have their own industrial liaison officers
• Careers services
• UoB College Based relevant employer engagement
• Partnership agreements action plans
• Industry
• HEA - employability enterprise
• SSCs/RDAs
• Employers Federations
• Chambers of Commerce/Ethnic Business Networks

19
Engineering in higher education what changes are
needed?

• Need for meaningful dialogue
• A conversation should be more than an exchange of
  words
• Difficulties
• Coherent sets of requirements
• Role for SSCs
• Understanding of different constraints
• Timescales

20
Engineering in higher education what changes are
needed?

• What should be done (1)
• 2020 Student choice diverse market
• 3 year BEng mobility degree
• Broad syllabus/High quality fundamentals
• 31 MEng OK for engineering in UK
• Proper masters level modules
• 31 MEng WBL better internationally
• 31 MSc for professional market
• Work based MSc?
• 32 Research based masters
• 311 BEng MENG/MSc taught extended research
  project
• 323 PhD

21
Engineering in higher education what changes are
needed?

• What should be done (2)
• Engagement at all levels
• High level meaningful dialogue between SSCs and
  Professional Bodies/Ecuk
• Broad, generalised, coherent requirements
• Universities can then respond according to their
  individual missions
• Government and Industry need to fund changes