Structural Engineering Recent Graduate Competences - Part I: Perception of Employers

This article reports an exploratory phenomenological investigation into how technical directors, in structural engineering consultancy firms, perceive recent graduates’ competences and preparedness for the work place. This study was prompted by private communications between the authors and many technical directors in the United Kingdom and other countries. An underlying significant concern has emerged amongst structural engineering leading professionals in relation to the ‘quality’ of graduates entering employment in the last decade. These concerns were wide spread and reported in conferences and meetings at a number of professional bodies, in particular at the Institution of Structural Engineering Engineers in the United Kingdom. The aim of this investigation is to explore the perception of technical directors regarding the existence and nature of perceived gaps in recent graduates’ abilities and competencies, when joining structural engineering consultancies. The overarching objectives of the study are to inform wider industry practice and more specifically, curriculum design and content of university degree programs of study. Exploratory qualitative in-depth interviews with four Technical Directors (TD) and three recent Graduate Engineers (GE) at structural engineering consultancies in the United Kingdom, were conducted. For conducting the qualitative interviews, a discussion schedule was designed as an interview guide. The wording and order of the discussion varied according to the way each interview unfolded, however, the focus of the open discussions was clear and targeted. The interviews lasted between 45–90 min. All interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed and analyzed for emergent themes. The findings of this investigation confirmed the concerns regarding the decline in recent graduates’ ability, particularly in relation to deep understanding of engineering science and behavior of structural systems. There were significant concerns that the universities, as a result of pressures from the accreditation bodies, are placing more emphasis on peripheral “soft skills”, such as health and safety, at the expense of time and resources for engineering science. The issue of “crowded programs of studies” was identified as a major concern of the interviewed technical directors.