Engineers Without Boredom
It isn’t surprising that engineering graduates may have specific skills and attributes related to one specific field in engineering, perhaps something they are passionate about or have a particular interest in. This isn’t and has never been a sole issue in itself but we know companies employing engineering graduates are finding more and more that the skills and qualities of engineers graduating from university are often lacking in an imaginative, creative outlook which could bring so much more to the quality of their work.
To try and ensure graduates are entering the workplace with a range of experience and different qualities to provide fresh new ideas and propositions on their work we plan to create more of an integrated course. This will allow engineering students to still find their own passions and desires within the subject but to also have the rounded experience to ensure they aren’t limited when it comes to working in the real world.
We plan to set up sustainable workshops in which young professionals from engineering disciplines can come together and work together on creative projects. Sustainable engineering and sustainable design go hand in hand and I think it would be an invaluable attribute to have for companies. Even giving graduates a better chance to work with other engineering disciplines would massively improve their skills for the workplace. It would provide them with a chance to work with different people and different working styles leaving them more open-minded and flexible to different styles of work.
As well as workshops, we will also have a foundation year for potential engineering students coming into university who are unsure which path to take and what will be right for them. This will allow them to make a more accurate decision. The foundation year would enable them to experience all aspects of engineering, putting a central focus on creativity within the university. This ultimately would be crucial for post-graduation and for workplace skills. We also found that a lot of engineering students end up transferring course or dropping out altogether and we believe that by establishing a foundation year it will allow students to make a decision on what would best suit themselves. Arguably this would be veering away form engineering but it would allow students to experience a multi-discipline course working with a range of people with varying styles and interests .
Being Product Design Engineers we all feel that the creative side of our course is what lead us onto the engineering path. We believe if people had the chance to experience and see the creative side of engineering without immediately being faced with the harsh maths and science side then they will be more willing to look into and consider an engineering course.
Thank you to our mentor Abdelilah Afdel as well as the help from Arts and Humanities students for the final output.
#engineeringeducation #engineeringinsociety #engineerswithoutboredom #creativemindsdontthinkalike #D2104
Great final proposal, team. Loved the video as well. You expanded on some great ideas on the importance of creativity and developed a solid plan to realize your ideas. Good luck with the judging on the 27th. It was a pleasure mentoring you all.
This is awesome. Hopefully we can leave the divide between the technically competent and the free-thinking creative in the 20th century. What I also love is that you have embodied your core message in the medium of your presentation. You used a blend of sources - images of industry and the workplace, scenes from films, art shows, background music, to create an evocative piece of media that succeeds in selling your message thanks to the truth of your message.
The idea of a foundation year is great, and painfully missing. I've never met anyone who was happy about getting boxed in to their course right away. Having a year in which people can explore what they like and paint with their own palette of interest and experience would be good for everyone; the people who know what discipline they're doing and are just in it for the final certification could be offered a second year entry. People achieve more when they are given the freedom to study their passions, and the opportunity to leverage their passions to solve real world problems - music to underpin a documentary about an issue that matters, artists to create pieces that change perspectives, designers to create products that shape our everyday lives. James Paul Gee has written a lot on the subject of affinity based learning, could be worth checking out.
We need to do a lot of work to dispel the stereotype of engineers being one dimensional, and giving the next generation the freedom and space to explore their interests without feeling like they're compromising their career could go a long way. I don't know about you but I didn't get any electives in my first year, they just filled up my calendar right away. I'm pretty sure I'd have used a French class more by now than Statics 1, and I'd still be a good enough engineer.
What you're pitching is great, but it's a big task. Getting big unis to agree to a foundation year right off the bat is pretty impossible IMO. If I was in your shoes I would still hold that as a goal but ask what we would need to get their, giving like 5 years or so for it to become achievable. The current disruption to the status quo means uni's are vulnerable and may become more willing to change in future (and they damn well better!), but you'll need some pretty concrete evidence. I would suggest your campaign could include doing some studies on the themes you outline - engineering students/grads perspective on the issue, whether they feel like they would benefit from more freedom via an outlier course or more open year, comparative case studies of colleges that do offer something more akin to what you're pitching. Once those studies are published it could be accompanied by lobbying, public talks, engaging famous engineers and STEM grads who care about the issue, and perhaps even blending some of the other suggestions offered - I really love the MOOC idea, and it could fit well into your pitch by giving an open access example of the kind of course you want to offer. Given that the people most likely to be turned on to your issue are those with personal experiences of being both creatives and engineers, why not do a youtube series giving them a 5 minute platform to talk about their lives? That kind of visibility could really dispel stereotypes and give kids some new role models.
All the best. As a musician who often struggles to balance both an engineering and artist identity I'm totally onboard. Happy to talk further anytime you like
At Lancaster Uni, we have about 250 engineering students a year. All of us take general engineering courses in the first year (chemistry, electronics, structural modules). Then, we split into our own degree choices. Idk if that's what you mean by foundation year. Or do you mean American Liberal Arts Edu where even engineering students need to take art courses in year 1?