A Professional Development Program to Supplement Technical ...moodle.liu.edu.lb/liu/soe/seminars/ABET/A... · A Professional Development Course (Key 2) The Engineering Career Institute

Presented by:

Dean C. MillarAssistant Dean, School of Engineering

University at Buffalo, SUNY

April 20, 2012

A Professional Development Program to Supplement Technical Coursework

Goal: Student Career Success and School AccreditationPresented to:

ABET Symposium

St. Louis, Missouri

Dean C. MillarUniversity at Buffalo, School of Engineering

Current Needs

� Engineering Students - Graduates are well trained in engineering theory and fundamentals, but generally lack broader professional skills

� Engineering Schools - ABET Criteria for Accrediting Engineering Programs require a proven technical curriculum as well as broader educational outcomes.


NSPE Report: New Engineers’ Professional Preparedness

TEAMWORK

PROD/SYST DESIGN

LEADERSHIP

INTEGRATIVE THINKING

SOCIAL/ETHICS/ENV

MATH & SCIENCE

MARKET ENVIRONMENT

SOCIAL SCIENCES

C

A

T

E

G

O

R

Y

PERCENT(%)0 20 40 60 80 100

WELL PREPARED HIGH VALUE

1


The Prepared Engineer

Ted W. Hissey, Director Emeritus of the Institute ofElectrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), stated:“Today's companies place a premium on individuals who develop, practice, and continue to improve certain extra, or ‘soft’ skills…” 2

EMPLOYERS’ VALUE EXPECTATIONS FOR NEW EMPLOYEES

EMPLOYERS’ PERCEPTION OF EMPLOYEE “PREPAREDNESS” TO MEET THESE EXPECTATIONS

THE

“GAP”


Major Objective

Effectively integrate a professional skills development program with the existing engineering technical curriculum to:

1. Enhance students’ ability to get the right zzjob and successfully launch their career

2. Enhance engineering schools’ compliancewith ABET criteria


ABET Criterion 3: Program Outcomes

(a) Apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering(d) Function on multidisciplinary teams (f) Understand professional and ethical responsibility(g) Communicate effectively(h) Understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global,

economic, environmental and societal context (i) Recognize the need for, and have the ability to engage in,

life-long learning(j) Understand contemporary issues(k) Use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools

For accreditation, engineering schools mustdemonstrate that their programs providetheir students with the ability to:


What does it take for ideal job candidacy?

Keys to Success:

� Key 1. A solid engineering education

� Key 2. A professional development course

� Key 3. Co-op/internship experience

� Key 4. A four-year undergraduate success plan

A Solid Engineering Education (Key 1)

�Engineering students need a sound grasp of engineering fundamentals in their major.

�Diligent study in an accredited curriculum provides the theoretical, applied lab, and computer knowledge to meet the technical requirements to be an entry-level engineer.


A Professional Development Course (Key 2)

The Engineering Career Institute (ECI) is a preparation for co-op employment course, offering:

� Pre-employment classes with instruction in keyprofessional and job seeking skills

� Presentations by experts from industry who enlighten students on essential topics related to career success.

The School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University at Buffalo (SUNY) has offered ECI, a one academic credit course, for the past 18 years.


Pre-employment Process

� Career development planning – you are in charge. � Self-analysis - know yourself; sell yourself � Research engineering functions/employment options.� Your resume/cover letter - focused on obtaining interviews � Your university career center – support for career planning,

job-search, interviews.� Your job search – organizing: networking; Internet.� The successful interview - anticipate questions; prepare responses� Follow-up action - after resumes; after interviews� Starting employment - your boss and you; learning the

culture and professional etiquette.

Steps that students can take to maximize probability of obtaining a co-op/intern job when they graduate.


Professional Success Subjects

The UB Engineering Career Institute (ECI) features classes in professional success subjects at the end of the semester, taught by industrial experts.

• Engineering functions and opportunities

• Personal and professional success skills


Engineering Functions and Opportunities

� Overview of industry - panel� Project management� Value engineering; value analysis � Quality engineering – TQM, Six Sigma and ISO� Lean enterprise - seven forms of waste; five lean principles� Engineering professionalism, ethics, and responsibility� Entrepreneurship - starting a business� Academic careers and graduate school� Becoming a global citizen - including an international

experience

Preparation for a successful career


Personal and Professional Success Skills

� Self-reliance, planning, and time management� Empowerment and motivation for peak performance � Interpersonal skills - dealing with people on the job� Teamwork - being an effective team member� Leadership - become an effective leader� Effective writing and presentation skills� Transition to industry – tips for success.

Closing the “gap” between employers’ value expectations and the extent to which employees are seen as prepared to meet these expectations.

Co-op/Internship Experience (Key 3)

Why is Co-op/Internship Important?

� Gain exposure to a real employment situation

� Demonstrate technical and teamwork skills

� Obtain applied relevance to engineering coursework

� Achieve engineering project results

� Build value-creating evidence for your resume

� Learn non-technical skills required of a professional

� Mutually assess your “fit” for career employment

� Increase your odds for a career job offer

CO-OP SUCCESS STORIES

Valuable Results from Student Employees

� Eric developed computerized procedures which decreased laboratory testing time by 68%.

� Hilbert came up with a substitute material for vacuum pump vanes which reduced vane cost by 90%.

� Tomasz introduced design changes for oil roller production that saved $40,000. per year.

� Kathryn recovered $100,000. by developing improved methodologies for an analytical instrument.

� Rick used value analysis to convince his management to buy a machine which saved $220,000 per year.

A four-year undergraduate

success plan (Key 4)� Students with a plan each year will be more successful

� Goal-focus and planning = self reliance

� Successful students will:

� Set academic and career development goals

� Become self-reliant and take appropriate actions

� Do the right things at each point during each year

� This planning approach can become a habit for self-disciplined success throughout their lives.


Undergraduate Success Plan -

First Year: Get off to a Good Start

� Set Academic Goals.

� Develop Self Reliance, Planning, Time Mgmt.

� Embrace Physics, Calculus and other courses.

� Explore possible engineering majors.

� Explore foreign language course options.

� Get involved: explore clubs/develop teamwork

� Use your career services office

� Take interviews for summer employment

� Plan to take a career course next year, then co-op

Second year: assess yourself,

choose your major, internship� Self assess your skills, interests, goals = choice of major

� Complete general courses leading to your major.

� Use your career center and take a career course.

� Confirm your choice of major through networking.

� Balance coursework with campus activities. Join a club.

� Prepare for a co-op or internship to apply coursework.

� Explore international education for next year.

� Declare your major and possibly minor by year-end

� Get co-op or intern experience during or after 2nd yearDean C. Millar

University at Buffalo, School of Engineering

Third year: emphasize your

major, be active, co-op/intern� Plan with your academic advisor that you meet reqs.

� Take courses in your major; assess it’s right for you.

� Enroll in a career development course.

� Order business cards - network with professionals.

� Explore employment and grad school.

� Use Career Services. Update resume. Attend tech fair.

� Join a student organization and become a leader.

� Enroll in a co-op/internship course

� Take the GRE in summer after your 3d yearDean C. Millar


Fourth year: prepare for

graduation/grad school or job� Manage job offers and grad school acceptances in time

� Have your resume early. Interviews start in September.

� Be interviewed for jobs; do grad school applications.

� Ensure you meet all requirements for graduation.

� Visit employers and/or grad schools for offers.

� Accept an employment or graduate school offer.

� Notify your college of your post-graduation plans.

� Attend graduation. Celebrate!

� Take the FE exam for future PE licensure.Dean C. Millar



Conclusion

Implementing the proposed “Keys to Success” will:

• Help students become attractive engineering employment candidates.

• Ensure that engineering schools meetABET accreditation requirements.

Students and engineering schools whoadopt this process will emerge as WINNERS.

Implementation obstacles:� Lack of room in curriculum for non-traditional course

� Engineering faculty dismissive of “soft-skill” courses

� Hesitation regarding who would teach this course

� Career Center, Professional Practice or Co-op staffs?

� Engineering managers from industry want to teach ECI.

� Interest by schools but slow progress—workload etc.

� Ready for Takeoff! and ECI are “hybrids”.

� Comprehensively unique vs. traditional books/courses

� Departure from the norm is challenging


Proposed action:� ABET is the only entity to arouse immediate action

from engineering schools to implement Criterion 3.

� Ready for Takeoff! and ECI model can provide an easy start for an engineering career course

� especially for schools with deficiency in Criterion 3.

� Existing PowerPoints are available and customizable.

� Schools not having access to Experts from Industry can use Chapters 11-26 and chapter exercises for homework.

� Ready for Takeoff! is flexible for use at any undergrad level and can be shaped for a semester-long course.



Thank You


References

1 Engineering Education Issues: Report on Surveys of Opinions by Engineering Deans and Employers of Engineering Graduates on the First Professional Degree.1 NSPE Publication No. 3059, November 1992-First Professional Degree Survey Report, page 5.

2 Hissey, Ted W., “Enhanced Skills for Engineers,” Proceedings of the IEEE88:8, (August, 2000).

3 Criteria for Accrediting Engineering Programs, “Effective for Evaluations During the 2009 – 2010 Accreditation Cycle,” Incorporates all changes approved by ABET Board of Directors as of November 1, 2008.

4 Millar, Dean C., Ready for Takeoff! -- A Winning Process for Launching Your Engineering Career, Prentice Hall/Pearson, 2011.

Documents

A Professional Development Program to Supplement Technical ...moodle.liu.edu.lb/liu/soe/seminars/ABET/A... · A Professional Development Course (Key 2) The Engineering Career Institute