Abstract
Current technological innovations and continuous change in the labor market have generated new challenges for higher education, and thrown new light upon the importance of competency development in engineering education. Responsibility, flexibility, communication and collaborative skills, self-motivation, problem-solving and innovation are the most required skills by employers. However, individual differences like personality traits or interpersonal skills of students can also be considered relevant factors influencing teachers’ attitudes towards integration of effective methods into engineering education. The purpose of this paper is to examine the competencies of undergraduates attending Engineering Informatics education, and to identify their personal needs for development in the light of workplace demands. Personality characteristics of Engineering Informatics students are also addressed in this research in order to reveal possible ways of involving them into the teaching and learning process by implementing new methods or approaches in Engineering Informatics education in Hungary.
Highlights
The competency development has become one of the main areas of research in engineering education in the last decade and it was recognized that non-technical and interpersonal skills are crucial for engineers [1,2]
On the one hand, the extent to which these competencies are required for future employment according to the opinion of Engineering Informatics students, and, on the other hand, to the extent to which they possess these competencies at the beginning of their studies
The findings regarding the importance of competencies indicate that in the opinion of Engineering Informatics students the most necessary skills for their future profession are problem-solving skill (M=4.87, standard deviations (SD)=.407), the ability to work precisely (M=4.78, SD=.496), understanding causal relationships (M=4.84, SD=.386), and the ability to apply knowledge (M=4.81, SD=.417)
Summary
The competency development has become one of the main areas of research in engineering education in the last decade and it was recognized that non-technical and interpersonal skills are crucial for engineers [1,2]. Higher education in engineering primarily focuses on the development of professional competencies and technical skills, and students are not appropriately prepared for the demands of the workplace and lack social, communicative or personal competencies [4]. Other studies highlight the wider social context of engineers’ work, arguing that there is a need for new engineers who are equipped with employability skills but who are socially and environmentally responsible [6]. It is reported in the literature that personality traits are important predictors of job performance and satisfaction, and are key characteristics for the engineering profession. Employers of engineering organizations require for new engineering graduates to possess both technical and non-technical skills such as communication, people and team management, motivation, problem solving, etc. [11]
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