Invited talk - Institution of Mechanical Engineers, 14 May 2021

1. Engineering Graduates for Industry:
rethinking our approach to skills gaps,
contextualisation and partnerships
IMechE Webinar, 14 May 2021
Dr Gary C Wood
University of Sheffield
www.garycwood.uk | @GC_Wood

2. Overview
Skills gaps in engineering graduates
• What skills?
• What have we tried to do about it?
Exploration of some of the problems
Future skills
• How the demand for skills is changing
How should we respond?
Some calls to action.

3. Skills Gaps in Engineering Graduates
IET Skills and Demand in Industry report 2014:
• 42% of companies report graduates lacking practical experience
• Workplace and professional skills flagged as a particular problem
By 2019:
• 59% of companies report graduates have academic knowledge but
inadequate workplace skills
• 57% companies report technical skills gaps (up from 46% in 2017)
2020 – MPA ‘UK engineers believe the skills shortage is the issue
that will most impact the sector over the next five years’ (The
Engineer).

4. (IET 2014)

5. Employability Agenda in HE
‘With a clear alignment of values towards social mobility,
workforce readiness and creating reskilling opportunities
through thriving educational partnerships with industry, HEIs
are no longer leaving it to the graduate to discover how s/he
might apply the knowledge gained at third level: rather, they are
explicitly creating opportunities for students all the way through
their programme [of study] to explore the real-world
applications and implications of their learning’ (Coonan & Pratt-
Adams 2018)
But, the skills gaps persist in graduate engineers…

6. Some Possible Problems
Perception vs. reality – a language barrier/articulation issue
‘Pub Quiz’ effect – strong technical knowledge, but lack of
opportunities to integrate learning and develop intellectual
capabilities to solve problems (Wood & Gibbs 2018)
Insufficient authenticity – learning experience not reflective of
world of work
Leadership challenges – students don’t appreciate their agency
Need for commitment to CPD and skills to manage this
Expectation of ‘work-readiness’ for very specific roles with
reduced industry training.

7. A Commitment to Finding Solutions
Industry Education
• New pedagogical approaches:
• Focus on employability
• Increased active learning
approaches (“learning by
doing”)
• Reflective skills developed in
engineers to support
independent learning
• (See Coonan & Pratt Adams
2018)
IET 2019

8. Looking Ahead: Future Skills Demands
‘We are trying to tackle the ‘wicked’ problem of preparing
students for jobs that do not yet exist, using technologies that
have not yet been invented, in order to solve problems that we
do not know are problems yet’ (Jackson 2008)
Driven particularly by Industry 4.0, digitalisation and
connectedness – captured in Industrial Strategy for UK (HM
Government 2017)
New skills and approaches required to face these challenges…

9. New Skills Required
(Coonan & Pratt Adams 2018)

10. Looking Ahead: Future Skills Demands
‘Challenge is to develop new skills not targeted by automation …
non-cognitive skills such as relationship building, empathy and
negotiation’ (Taylor 2017: 31)
Shift of focus away from qualifications and towards skills and
upskilling; microcredentials
Technical vs. academic skills – a false dichotomy?
• ‘We go to the Russell Group for our technology and we are increasingly
coming to the non-Russell Group for our skills’ (Industry Survey
respondent, Coonan & Pratt-Adams 2018)

11. What are the solutions?
Enterprise Education
• a set of capabilities that enable individuals to spot opportunities,
generate ideas, and do something about them
• enterprising people get things done and make things happen
• 5 Capabilities model (Barluenga et al):
• Authentic Problem Solving
• Innovation & Creativity
• Risk Taking
• Taking Action
• True Collaboration.
• Enterprise education prepares students for uncertainty, and to seize
opportunities – we don’t know exactly what the future will look like.

12. What do HEIs need to do?
Build more industry links that go beyond advisory roles and deliver learning
experiences directly for students
Create authentic learning experiences that are interdisciplinary and the main
focus of learning, not bolted on ‘enhancements’
Recognise shifts in traditional, research-led disciplinary boundaries
Rebalance theoretical learning with professional skills
Support development of application of learning and skills – applying and
doing, not just knowing
Develop resilience, adaptability and capability for lifelong learning and
commitment to CPD in students
Teach reflective skills, including stimulus recognition (Gibbs & Wood 2019)
Help to establish future work skills needs, by working closely
with industry.

13. What does industry need to do?
Work with education – only 26% of companies report doing this. Scope to:
• Provide authenticity to learning experiences
• Shape learning so it’s aligned with industry needs
• Benefit current staff through upskilling opportunities and exploring future of work
Strengthen and expand placement and work experience provision
• Good numbers of year in industry opportunities – and uptake increasing
• Harder for students to get shorter placements, e.g. summer work (IET reports less
than 40% of companies offer work experience to university students) – focus tends to
be on lack of immediate value to business, but there’s great value to students and this
builds the pipeline
• Opportunities for academic staff to have industry experience
Help us to fund these initiatives – but that’s not necessarily very expensive:
£1-5k goes a long way!

14. What to students need to do?
Be open-minded and willing to embrace challenges
Seek opportunities for interdisciplinary experience – build
breath as well as depth in your knowledge and skills
Develop and be able to articulate your professional capabilities
as well as technical knowledge – and recognise importance
Practise reflection and learn to recognise when this adds value
Be a resourceful, lifelong learning, with commitment to your
CPD, and drive this yourself
Build self-awareness and personal vision, and then make it
happen.

15. Some examples from Sheffield – SELA
SELA works in partnership with industry to develop selected
high-potential engineering undergraduate students into leaders
of tomorrow
Programme of skills workshops and guest speakers to build
skills and knowledge
Experience in industry
Integrative projects
• Year-long, real projects, with deliverables and a budget
• Link students with real issues locally and nationally, so they can see their
impact and recognise their agency
• Space to practise, check understanding, and integrate
learning.

16. SELA continued…
Examples of projects:
• Promoting STEM to young people, linking engineering with the National
Curriculum by creating an escape room-style lunar base, and an augmented-
reality museum installation – reaching 12,000+ people;
• Industry 4.0 adoption, addressing the decline in manufacturing by creating an
energy monitoring solution for an SME manufacturer, demonstrating
efficiencies to initiate conversations with other manufacturers;
• Urban Sensing and Climate Change, utilising urban sensing research to
effect attitudinal change, establishing ‘Urban Champions’ to influence children
and their caregivers;
• Budget challenges in health and social care, networking digital technologies
to support independent living, whilst considering ethical issues.

17. SELA continued…
Partnership with industry is crucial: shaping the projects,
mentoring the students, introducing networks, etc.
Students greatly value the experience (Habbershaw, Sharp &
Wood 2019):
• ‘Focus shifts from grades to output value’
• ‘Connects learning to applications – so we can practise and recognise
value’
Value to industry:
• “The students came from multiple disciplines … [they] bring new skillsets
and help us innovate, using new ways of thinking. … The business has
changed. We look at things in a new way. We’re looking at
how we can actually introduce some of the changes.”

18. Some Calls to Action
Students:
• Seize opportunities to engage in extra-curricular activities
• Think ahead, and get involved in shaping the curriculum
• Be reflective in everything you do
Employers:
• Invest in building talent to discover it
• Work with HEIs to shape authentic learning and determine future of work
requirements
• Think about transitions between HE and employment and support this
• Continue to challenge HE providers
Educators:
• Develop enterprise education with authentic/real projects
• Break down disciplinary silos and rethink interdisciplinarity
• Remember you’re not just – or even mainly – training next
generation of researchers.

19. References
Barluenga, M., Elliott, C., Nibbs, A. & Riley, A. (2013). Enhancement of Curricular Enterprise Education Incorporating Students’ Perceptions
and Feedback at The University of Sheffield. Sheffield: University of Sheffield.
Coonan, E. & Pratt-Adams, S. (2018). Building Higher Education Curricula Fit for the Future. York: Advance HE.
Engineer, The (2020). Survey reveals expected impact of skills shortage. Online. Available at: www.theengineer.co.uk/survey-skills-
shortage-uk-engineering [Accessed 6 May 2021]
Gibbs, B. & Wood, G. C. (2019). Reflection for Learning and Practice in Developing Engineers, in: Andrews, J., Knowles, G., and Clark, R.
(Eds.), Excellence in Engineering Education for the 21st Century: The Role of Engineering Education Research: The Proceedings of the 7th
Annual Conference of the UK & Ireland Engineering Education Research Network, (pp. 122–133). Coventry: WMG, University of Warwick.
HM Government (2017). Industrial Strategy: building a Britain fit for the future. London: Department for Business, Energy & Industrial
Strategy
Institution of Engineering & Technology. (2014). Skills & Demand in Industry: Annual Survey 2014. London: The Institution of Engineering &
Technology.
Institution of Engineering & Technology. (2017). Skills & Demand in Industry: 2017 Survey. London: The Institution of Engineering &
Technology.
Jackson, N. (2008). Tackling the Wicked Problem of Creativity in Higher Education. SCEPTrE: Surrey Centre for Excellence in Professional
Training and Education.
Taylor, M. et al (201&). Good work: the Taylor review of modern working practices. London: Department for Business, Energy & Industrial
Strategy
Wood, G. C. & Gibbs, B. (2019). Students as Partners in the Design and Practice of Engineering Education: Understanding and Enabling
Development of Intellectual Abilities, in: Malik, M., Andrews, J., Clark, R., and Broadbent, R. (Eds.), Realising Ambitions: Sixth Annual
Symposium of the UK&I Engineering Education Research Network, (pp. 231–245). Portsmouth: University of Portsmouth.

20. Engineering Graduates for Industry:
rethinking our approach to skills gaps,
contextualisation and partnerships
IMechE Webinar, 14 May 2021
Dr Gary C Wood
University of Sheffield
www.garycwood.uk | @GC_Wood