Supply and demand

The oft-expressed view that the study of engineering has lost its appeal is not borne out by figures recently published in Engineering UK 2005. Produced by ETB in association with ECUK, this latest edition of the annual guide to labour supply and demand shows that large numbers of home students continue to be accepted onto engineering and technology degree programmes. And this is not the only welcome news about the state of UK engineering to be found within the guide’s clearly presented 72 pages.

In its opening chapters the guide provides a wealth of statistical data relating to secondary, further and higher education, as well as vocational training. These are followed by detailed sections on current trends in recruitment, salaries and professional registration. The guide concludes with an analysis of public perceptions of Science, Engineering and Technology (SET) and a review of career advice sources.

According to the section on higher education, the number of UK students entering engineering stood at around 16,500, a statistic which has remained encouragingly stable in recent years. An equally telling piece of data is that 10% of 24 year olds hold a SET degree, a higher proportion than in most other countries, including the US, Germany and Japan. (Thirty years ago the UK lagged behind all three of these nations.) On another positive note the guide also reveals that average starting salaries for graduate engineers compare very favourably with those of most other degree holders.

There was good news too about the number of individuals registering as professional engineers and technicians. In 2004, the figure for new registrants increased for the first time since 1999 - and according to the latest figures, growth this year has been even faster.

The report is available online at www.engc.org.uk/publications .

Time honoured system

Could the UK’s 200-year system of degree classification be on its way out? If consultation documents drawn up by the Steering Group for Measuring and Recording Student Achievement are anything to go by then the answer may well be yes.

Representing universities and higher education funding councils, the Steering Group is proposing a transcript-led approach to assessment, the aim being to provide a more detailed and meaningful picture of students' achievements and abilities. In tandem with this they would drop the current degree classification model and replace it with a simple three-point scale – ie, Distinction/Pass/Fail.

ECUK welcomes the idea of a transcript-led system, particularly as the intention is to develop this in line with the European Diploma Supplement requirements of the Bologna Process. However, it questions the Steering Group's conclusion that the Honours classification system is no longer fit for purpose and should therefore be abandoned.

While it is true that few other countries use this form of classification, UK Honours degrees are still highly respected overseas and are also recognised under several international agreements. Moreover, it is a widely understood system and is especially appreciated by employers looking for an early indication of someone's academic abilities. It should also be borne in mind that some employers will lack the time to study transcript assessment grades to determine how a classification has been arrived at.

The Steering Group is currently considering the responses it has received from HEIs, students, employers and professional bodies – including ECUK. A more detailed consultation will be carried out in early 2006, with final proposals being presented later in the year.

Find out more at www.universitiesuk.ac.uk

D&T under threat

Proposed ‘rationalisation’ of Design & Technology teaching at Key Stage 3 (ages 11 – 14) could ultimately lead to fewer young people taking up engineering as a career. This possibility has so alarmed both the Design and Technology Association and the Engineering Education Alliance – of which ECUK is a member – that they have expressed their concerns in an open letter to the DfES and QCA

At present D&T is studied by all 5 – 14 year olds and encompasses a broad range of interconnected disciplines. This year 396,668 students took it at GCSE. The fear is that the current review of the Key Stage 3 National Curriculum will ignore the important link between D&T and the supply of engineers.

Under the changes being considered, there is a danger that D&T will cease to be statutory at Stage 3 and that those students who do elect to take it may be limited to an ‘entitlement' of only one or two disciplines. The entitlement of ages 14 – 16 has already been reduced and if Stage 3 were to suffer similar culling then D&T subjects such as systems and control, electronics and product design (which includes CAD/CAM) may well suffer.

This could have a major knock-on effect at GCSE, ‘A' level and beyond, eventually resulting in fewer trained engineers - an outcome that no one wishes to see, least of all a government that is committed to engineering and technology.

Master plan

In May, forty-five countries signed up to the Framework for Qualifications of the European Higher Education Area. The latest step in the ‘Bologna Process’, under which the signatory nations have agreed to align their HE systems, this crucial agreement has spurred the Europe Unit of Universities UK to publish a guidance note on the issues now confronting UK Higher Education Institutions running integrated Masters degree programmes.

ECUK has been closely following Bologna since its inception and has had a major influence on the final form of the Europe Unit document. It had a particular interest in doing so since engineering courses make up the majority of integrated Masters degrees and it is keen to ensure that UK MEng continues to be accepted in other countries for the purposes of professional recognition. The Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) and the Engineering Professors Council (EPC) were among other organisations that were consulted.

The Qualifications Framework represents a positive development and should not disadvantage UK engineering graduates. However, there are some characteristics of UK integrated Masters programmes, such as their shorter duration, which at first sight might suggest potential areas of conflict - hence the need for clear and concise guidance.

Having explained the background to the Bologna Process and spelt out the explicit requirements for recognition as an integrated two-cycle degree, the guidance note makes a number of recommendations to HEIs. For instance, it suggests that they issue ‘diploma supplements' providing extra information about given qualifications. They are also urged to consider increasing course content by extending final year projects and dissertations, and making full use of industry placements. Other advice includes avoiding terminology such as ‘Undergraduate Masters', which on the Continent could be misinterpreted.

To help HEIs in their efforts to promote integrated Masters programmes, the document also enumerates their significant advantages. It stresses the UK view that learning outcomes are the most important measure of a study programme.

ECUK and the Royal Academy of Engineering plan to run a joint workshop on implementation of the guidance. It is tentatively scheduled for 27 April 2006 .

The UK Higher Education Europe Note on the Bologna Process and integrated Masters programmes can be found at:

http://www.europeunit.ac.uk/news/europe_note_archive/2005.cfm

Birth of a new Board

The last issue of Register News reported that the proposed union of DABCE (Degree Accreditation Board for Chartered Engineers) and JAB (Joint Accreditation Board) had been endorsed by both parties. The merger, which has now gone through, has produced the Engineering Accreditation Board (EAB), the formation of which is good news for Higher Educational Establishments seeking ECUK approval of their degree and other courses.

All 21 of the engineering institutions that are licensed by ECUK to accredit academic programmes are eligible to become EAB members, even those who were not part of DABCE or JAB. As a consequence, the new board is likely to possess a very wide range of engineering expertise. ECUK is providing its secretariat.

One of the principal aims of EAB is to facilitate a wider spread of good accreditation practice, which will in turn lead to improved educational standards. Another of its functions will be to arrange joint accreditation visits by appropriate member institutions. Potentially, this could save an HEI considerable time and effort.

EAB's first meeting is scheduled for January.

Positive outcomes

Delegates arriving in San Diego for the November Annual Meeting of ABET – the body that accredits US engineering degree courses - were expecting to get their hands on an eagerly awaited research report into the effects on student learning of the outcomes assessment criteria adopted by the organisation five years ago. As it turned out they were only given a foretaste. It was announced that the report’s publication has been delayed until at least March 06.

However it was revealed by the Penn State University researchers involved in the study that the move to EC2000 (ABET's outcomes-based accreditation criteria) had been largely beneficial. Graduates felt better prepared – and this view was generally supported by teaching staff, though a number shared the opinion voiced by some employers that there had been a decline in problem-solving skills.

It was clear from the conference that many in the academic community were frustrated by the difficulty of demonstrating achievement of outcomes to the satisfaction of program evaluators. This has been compounded by inconsistencies in the approach taken by evaluators, a problem that ABET is addressing by investing heavily in training.

Given that the principle of outcomes assessment has also been embraced in the UK (as explained in ECUK's 2003 Accreditation Handbook), there will doubtless be lessons that can be learnt on both sides of the Atlantic when the full story of the study's findings finally emerges.

Action and words on EngTech

The recently formed EngTech Working Group is clearly determined to be more than just a talking shop. Following the group’s second meeting, which saw many examples of best practice presented and discussed, a ‘library’ of valuable reference material has now been established on the ECUK extranet. Principally intended for use by Institution staff, it currently includes a new Q&A guide to EngTech registration, a variety of fact sheets and an exemplary employer scheme. Much more is to be added.

The group has been buoyed by the latest figures on EngTech registration, which show that the number of new registrants this year is twice what it was in 2004 and more than three times the 2003 level. It has also welcomed the news of the award of a DTI grant to ‘map' 100 advanced apprenticeships, to assess whether they meet the requirements for EngTech as detailed in UK-SPEC. ECUK will be involved in the validation of the mapping exercise.

Registration demystified

For those with the right skills and experience, becoming a registered engineer is relatively straightforward. However, anyone unfamiliar with the registration process might view it as somewhat daunting. To explain to potential candidates exactly what is involved, the Chartered Institution of Building Service Engineers (CIBSE) – an ECUK licensed institution – has held a series of briefing sessions around the UK.

Those who attended the sessions were told about the requirements for registration, as either a Chartered Engineer (CEng) or Incorporated Engineer (IEng), and given guidance on the best way to prepare. Importantly they were also able to talk one-to-one with some of the people who actually assess and interview applicants. Recent increases in the number of names that CIBSE has added to ECUK’s Register of Engineers are testimony to the success of these events.

There will be more sessions next year and CIBSE is also planning to organise similar events aimed at those looking to register as Engineering Technicians (EngTech).

Enquiries to Emma Jones, CIBSE's Professional Development Manager:

ejones@cibse.org

Chair required

If you have an interest in public service and a passion for excellence then you could be just the person that the Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering is looking for to become Chair of its Board of Trustees. In this important role you would help to formulate, monitor and review the IPHE’s strategic aims and ensure best practice in governance. The position is not open to IPHE members.

You will need to demonstrate strong leadership and communications skills and be able to commit to approximately ten meetings a year. The appointment will be for three years commencing June 06. Though unpaid, expenses may be claimed. IPHE has over 12,000 members and is an ECUK licensed institution.

Applicants should write, enclosing a CV, to Alan Woollaston, Acting Chairman of the Board, Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering, 64 Station Lane, Hornchurch, Essex, RM12 6NB, Tel: 01708 472791. For an informal discussion contact Chief Executive, Andy Watts: andyw@iphe.org.uk

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