KOSEN 한인과학기술자네트워크

The growing demand from various parties for high quality work experience before graduation was reinforced by the recommendations of the Dearing Committee. The Royal Academy of Engineering has responded by creating a working group to review and assess current initiatives and investigate how any further expansion of such experience might impinge on various 'stakeholders' There is widely and incresingly acknowledged evidence that high quality work experience assists considerably in attracting, recruiting and retaining able young people in engineering. The working group noted that the four universities involved in the Equipe project were well above average in terms of the proportion of their engineering graduates entering engineering employment. Work experience may take a variety of forms, with different advantages and costs. It would be unwise to be prescriptive about the form it should take. The benefits of such experience to students, employers, higher education institutions and the engineering industry as a whole are acknowledged, but there are concerns about the feasibility of further expansion of high quality work experience. Nevertheless, the scale of the operation to provide work experience for all undergraduates seeking CEng registration does not appear to be insurmountable. The arrangements will need attention, and the quality of the provision will need to be managed. - Mechanisms to bring together students and potential providers of work experience need to be improved. Whilst some form of central brokerage may be helpful, the system must be sensitive to the needs of a variety of stakeholders, accommodating, creating and celebrating diversity of provision. - There are financial concerns for students, but these may be less significant than a variety of constraints on employers. - There are formidable difficulties in overcoming employers' reluctance to commit to taking on work experience sutdents, and providing the necessary personal commitment and support. Where such commitment and support are found the outcomes are very positive. There could be a role for the Academy in promoting such positive messages. - Although many HEIs already have consideralbe experience in organising, supervising and accrediting work experience, the spread of 'good practice', and diversity of provision, are issues which need attention. The attitudes of employers towards work experience may be rather different from those of HEIs, and both of them may be different again from the attitudes of the professional institutions. A more sustainable relationship has to evolve, to the benefit of young people, the professions and the economy alike. Work experience will need its champions amongst engineers if a new relationship is to be forged.