Continuous improvement of engineering education is achieved through curriculum development, program evaluation, and program accreditation processes. This chapter is based on the view that one of the criteria for design of these should be alignment with the competencies required by engineers in the workplace. The chapter provides an 11-factor competency model developed in Australia to help achieve this alignment. The model describes the generic engineering competencies required by engineers graduating in Australia. The competencies embed inter-related technical and non-technical components. An advantage of this model over others is the concise and relatively distinct nature of the 11 factors due to the statistical rather than conceptual method of grouping the competencies. The chapter outlines the theoretical framework, the model, and its development. The research methods employed to develop the model include a literature review, a panel session, two large-scale surveys of engineers, and a focus group. Implications for curriculum design, accreditation, and program evaluation are discussed.
This paper contributes to understanding of the generic engineering competencies required by engineers graduating in Australia and to competency theory. The Competencies of Engineering Graduates (CEG) Project was conducted to identify the generic engineering competencies required by engineers graduating in Australia. The methodology adapted a theoretical framework for understanding key competencies developed by the Defi nition and Selection of Competencies Project commissioned by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. The phases of the CEG Project included a literature review, a panel session, two large-scale surveys and a focus group. By refl ecting on the whole CEG Project, this paper provides insight into the nature of competencies required by engineers in Australia. Implications for engineering educators are described.
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