Perceptions of engineering students' career readiness competencies participating in a cooperative education program and supervisors' expectations

Abstract

Employers expect to hire college graduates who are prepared for their careers with strong skillsets prior to entering the workforce. The purpose of this action research study is to explore the perceptions of undergraduate engineering students' career readiness competencies and supervisors' expectations to further enhance the skills necessary to be successful in the workplace. The Cycle 1 data collection consisted of interviews with the engineering students and supervisors and the Cycle 2 data collection was obtained from participant surveys and focus groups to explore the perceptions of career readiness competencies. The Cycle 2 action step activities were developed and implemented to expand students' knowledge surrounding career readiness competencies and identify areas for skill development based on the expectations of the supervisors. Findings included students and supervisors identified communication as a soft skill that is highly valued in the workplace, students and supervisors indicated that professionalism is an area for improvement that students need to further develop, and students expressed interest in participating in professional development opportunities to educate them about soft skill development. Students benefited from their supervisors' feedback to become aware of the skills needed to further develop in the workplace. Recommendations for the organization include creating a systematic approach of incorporating online modules for students to expand their knowledge on career readiness competencies based on supervisors' expectations, developing mechanisms for supervisors to provide feedback to students to identify strong skillsets, developing strategies to improve soft skills, and establishing a formalized mentorship program to support students' transition into the workplace.--Author's abstract