The Life-Long Education and Training of Mechanical Engineers

Abstract

Without doubt Great Britain led the world into the Industrial Revolution, and for a considerable period up till the second half of the nineteenth century it could rightly consider itself as ‘the workshop of the world’. The author traces up till recent times why it was that Great Britain lost that position, mainly because of its reliance on engineers learning on the job by picking things up for themselves and learning by rule-of-thumb and ignoring the need for a soundly based education and well planned training. Since the end of World War II various attempts have been made to rectify this position, but without much success, until the Finniston Committee Report. The organization of the Engineering Council, set up in 1982 on the recommendation of the Finniston Committee, is considered, and in particular its responsibility for the engineering profession and for changing the public's perception of industry and the engineering profession. The author expresses his opinion on the initial education and training of engineers. He comments on the need to reconsider whether mechanical engineering as presently taught is a viable subject, or if a course spanning mechanical and electronic engineering is needed. He sees the objective of engineering education as being a design for total life cost, and he explores how this may be achieved within a total technology concept. Finally, he considers how to achieve better university/industry collaboration which is at the heart of effective education and training of engineers. He describes the Technology Centre concept recently set up in the Queen's University of Belfast, which integrates the services and resources provided for local industry and those required by the engineering departments of the University as well as providing for continuing education and training. He sees this as the way ahead in achieving close collaboration with industry.