Evert Jan Strydom | Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) (original) (raw)

Thesis Chapters by Evert Jan Strydom

Industry expectations of engineering graduates are increasingly expanding with modern times. Ther... more Industry expectations of engineering graduates are increasingly expanding with modern times. Therefore, for academic institutions to stay competitive, they must continuously identify the changing requirements in terms of required skills. To this effect, many studies from around the world show that engineering graduates are not meeting expectations of industry and that there is a growing recognition of the importance of “Soft Skills” (Lee, et al., (1995); Spencer & Spencer, (1993)). Graduate skill deficiencies exist, mainly in the science, technology, engineering and mathematical capacities (Jackson, 2009). Today’s engineers must not only be technically intuited to “Hard Skills”, but must also be creative, work well in teams, communicate effectively, and create products that are useful in the real world. (Stephens, 2013). These soft skills also comprise elements such as critical and analytical thinking, problem solving and integrity, to name just a few.

This paper focusses on cognitive skills of engineering graduates and is a first study into the most essential skills as required of engineering graduates by the Namibian industry. It highlights the importance of “Soft Skills” as necessary skills for modern engineering graduates to be successful in industry.

Data collection was done by means of an online survey, distributed to 341 Engineers in Namibia. This constitutes 28.4% of the estimated 1576 Engineers in Namibia (EPA, 2014). A total of 134 respondents completed the online survey (39% response rate). Seven (7) were disqualified, resulting in 127 usable surveys. The online survey instrument collected data on the respondents’ qualifications, professional backgrounds, and the skills deemed important, which were rated in terms of importance on a 4 point Liker scale.

The results show that irrespective of industry, discipline or years of operation; the most essential skill of any Engineer is Problem Solving. Other sought after skills are Professionalism, Technical Knowledge, Basic Computer Skills, Analytical Thinking, Integrity, Engineering Design, Project Management, Quality Awareness and Attention to Detail. There are also notable perceived differences between industries and disciplines, as what are the most essential skills. The results show that “Soft Skills” are deemed just as important in the Namibian industry as “Hard Skills”.

Analyses of all the Core Skills show which skills are absolutely essential to all categories. This study finds the Primary Critical Skills to be Problem Solving and Technical Knowledge. With a slightly greater focus, this study is also defining Secondary Critical Skills to be Professionalism, Basic Computer Skills and Analytical Thinking.

This study has raised a number of interesting, valuable and serious questions for further research. Results were inconclusive in the preference of Soft vs Hard Skills, and can lead to more future studies. It is also unclear as to why Consultants have a lower value for Quality Awareness than Constructors. This outcome is inconclusive, and requires further research as to the reasons why.

Perhaps the most notable result is the high rank of Project Management (8th, 85.8 %) which is significant since it does not feature as part of the ECN’s exit level outcomes, although Project Management is included in ECSA’s. It can be recommended for further study on the importance of Project Management within the Namibian context. If tertiary institutions wish to improve their competitiveness, they should perhaps increase their impartation of this skill.

In conclusion, the data provided here shows Problem Solving to be the most valuable skill an engineer can possess within the Namibian engineering community. It raises the question on the importance of Project Management, and whether the ECN should place greater emphasis on it. The study also shows that engineers should be equally capable in Hard and Soft Skills. The data also leads to new questions that should be further explored to ensure that the engineering industry can operate to its maximum potential to the benefit of all Namibians.