Work Readiness of Final-Year Civil Engineering Students at Victoria University: A Survey

Abstract

Little is known about how well prepared final-year engineering students perceive themselves to be to enter the workforce. A written survey was conducted in final-year civil engineering students at Victoria University, Australia, focusing on nine dimensions of engineering practice. Part 1 of the survey asked students to choose from six possible responses on how well they believe their course prepared them in relation to 52 statements (1 = very inadequately, 6 = very adequately). Mean preparedness scores were generated for each dimension. Part 2 of the survey included six open-ended questions; responses were analysed using NVivo8 software. Results indicated that mean preparedness scores ranged from 4.1 to 4.7. Key positive aspects of the civil engineering course included problem-based learning (PBL) and work-integrated learning (WIL) experiences. Although the survey relates to one course and the sample size relatively small, the results have implications for other engineering education institutions, particularly those with focus on WIL and PBL approaches, providing a framework for understanding students’ perception of preparedness for the workforce.