Mentoring undergraduate civil engineering students

Abstract

On enrolment at university, undergraduate civil engineering students begin their journey towards a professional career.Associating with graduate engineers throughout their studies provides students with potential role models and assists them to accustomise progressively to the industry. While the procurement of guest practitioners to deliver workshops and lectures remains buoyant, opportunities for students to secure summer placements within the civil engineering sector has been problematic since the 2008 financial crisis. Graduate mentoring of student mentees can help to bridge the shortage of vocational placements. This paper discusses the results from a graduate mentoring initiative involving third-year (N = 345) civil and environmental engineering student mentees, 83 graduate mentors and 31 employers. The results show that the student mentees overwhelmingly support and validate the opportunities that this initiative has provided. On completion of their mentoring meetings, and on return to the fourth year of their studies, the majority of the students commit to making behavioural and attitudinal changes regarding their own continued professional development.

Industrial work placement in higher education

“…The findings imply that the placement students switched their educational orientation from progression (for continuing students) to transition (‘outduction’ and future professional employment). The transformation in students’ self-perception from ‘engineer in training’ (Murray et al, 2015) to ‘engineer in work’ suggests that, given the opportunity of industrial work placement, students are mindful of preparing for transition to full-time professional employment. The shift in cognitive disposition is likely to lessen ‘transition shock’ (Gale and Parker, 2014) and supports prior notions of anticipatory socialization (Sang et al, 2009), shaping real-world expectations, perceptions and comprehension of becoming a professional civil engineer.…”

“…Following this introduction, the subsequent section explores traditional links between scientific theory and engineering practice and the influence this knowledge exchange relationship has had on HE discourse within civil engineering education. In addition, the concept of 'learning' technical competence coupled with professional values is also examined from the perspective of the 'civil engineer in training' (Murray et al, 2015). The research strategy and method is explained with limitations and assumptions clearly stated.…”

“…In this study ( n = 174), short-term civil engineering work placement was a maximum of 18 weeks with an average industrial placement period of 12 weeks. A short-term industrial placement is very important for the undergraduate (Spinks et al, 2006) or ‘civil engineer in training’ (Murray et al, 2015), ‘enabling students to gain practical experience of industry as part of their education’ (RAE, 2007: 6). Not only is industrial placement likely to reinforce prior academic studies: a student working as a co-opted member in a ‘live’ engineering environment, tackling engineering problems, and liaising with highly qualified engineers will in all likelihood develop expectations, shift perceptions and enhance his or her individual comprehension of the civil engineering profession.…”

“…Visiting professors and teaching engineers (Broadbent and McCann, 2016) can embellish the curriculum with inspirational examples of engineering case studies. Visits to construction projects (Murray and Tennant, 2016a), industrial mentoring of students (Murray et al, 2015) and drawing on testimonies from past Presidents of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) (Murray and Tennant, 2016b) offer alternative educational approaches designed to ensure that students develop employability capital and anticipatory socialization about their chosen career path. Nonetheless, for an authentic experience of civil engineering, students need to be immersed in the ‘theatre’ of project environments where their explicit core engineering knowledge is road-tested and mediated by a tacit understanding of the grounded realities of everyday civil engineering practice.…”

Board 48: Analysis of a Trial of Mentoring between Civil Engineering Students and Practicing Engineers

“…These might include attainment of a professional level and training expertise, willingness to help, communication skills and other individual characteristics [9]. Research on a project similar to our own reports overwhelmingly positive educational impacts for undergraduate civil engineering students (n=345) in offering them role models, enhanced adaptation to industry, behavioral and attitudinal changes concerning CPD and additional access to vocational placements [7], [17]. However, as this paragraph suggests, mentoring also has the capacity to contribute to a range of strategic concerns that go beyond educational impacts including supporting initiatives around recruitment to the engineering as a career and, in particular, recruitment of higher numbers of female students and students with disabilities.…”