Engineering students experiences of becoming an engineer

• The focus is on how students construct, deconstruct and reconstruct the meaning of being an engineering student and of becoming an engineer in relation to the concept of employability. Four cohorts of students in a Masters program in Engineering were monitored annually with a “follow up” one year after graduation. Results show that there were differences in the way students talked about their curricular design, career plans, job search, becoming an employee and employable, and job satisfaction. Throughout the interviews certain turning points were identified, where the students had to make various decisions. Many students argued that generic skills and cultural values are best learned in extra-curricular activities and in work contexts, and that doing a thesis project in a firm was the best learning experience . During this thesis process students became conscious of their valuable employability skills, which in the job search process were a good thesis project; a diploma from the program, self-efficacy, problem-solving skills and a broad knowledge base.  On the job, the most valuable acquired key skills were considered to be mathematics and subject specific knowledge; problem solving skills; time management skills; learning skills; and, an ability to manage stress and heavy workloads.

Nyckelord

Employability; engineering; higher education; longitudinal study; transition

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