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Engineering

View the employability skills for Engineering

The study of engineering is concerned with developing, providing and maintaining infrastructure, products, processes and services for society. Engineering addresses the complete life cycle of a product, process or service, from conception, through design and manufacture, to decommissioning and disposal, within the constraints imposed by the commercial, legal, social, cultural and environmental considerations. Engineering relies on three core elements, namely scientific principles, mathematics and 'realisation'. This creativity and innovation to develop economically viable and ethically sound sustainable solutions is an essential and distinguishing characteristic of engineering, shared by the many diverse, established and emerging disciplines within engineering.

In order to operate effectively, engineering graduates need to possess the following characteristics. They will be rational and pragmatic, interested in the practical steps necessary for a concept to become reality. They will want to solve problems and have strategies for being creative, innovative and overcoming difficulties by employing their knowledge in a flexible manner. They will be numerate and highly computer-literate, and capable of attention to detail. They will be cost- and value-conscious and aware of the social, cultural, environmental and wider professional responsibilities they should display. They will appreciate the international dimension to engineering, commerce and communication. When faced with an ethical issue, they will be able to formulate and operate within appropriate codes of conduct. They will be professional in their outlook, capable of team working, effective communicators, and able to exercise responsibility.

Some of the outcomes engineering graduates will be able to demonstrate are:

  • knowledge, skills and understanding of scientific and mathematical principles and methodologies underpinning an engineering degree and the ability to integrate these to achieve the solution to real problems
  • understanding of engineering principles and the ability to apply them to analyse key engineering processes
  • understanding of, and ability to, apply a systems approach to engineering problems
  • design is the creation and development of an economically viable product, process or system involving significant technical and intellectual challenges and graduates need the ability to:
    • investigate and define a problem and identify constraints, including environmental and sustainability limitations, health and safety and risk assessment issues
    • understand customer and user needs and the importance of considerations such as aesthetics
    • identify and manage cost drivers
    • use creativity to establish innovative solutions
    • ensure fitness for purpose for all aspects of the problem including production, operation, maintenance and disposal
    • manage the design process and evaluate outcomes.
  • appreciation of the social, environmental, ethical, economic and commercial considerations affecting the exercise of their engineering judgement, including:
    • knowledge and understanding of the commercial and economic context of engineering processes
    • knowledge of management techniques to achieve engineering objectives within an economic, social and environmental context
    • understanding of the requirement for engineering activities to promote sustainable development
    • awareness of the framework of relevant legal requirements governing engineering activities, including personnel, health, safety, and risk (including environmental risk) issues
    • understanding of the need for a high level of professional and ethical conduct in engineering.
  • practical application of engineering skills, combining theory and experience, and using other relevant knowledge and skills, including:
    • workshop and laboratory skills
    • understanding contexts in which engineering knowledge can be applied (eg operations and management, technology development, etc)
    • understanding use of technical literature and other information sources
    • awareness of the nature of intellectual property and contractual issues
    • understanding appropriate codes of practice and industry standards
    • awareness of quality issues
    • ability to work with technical uncertainty.
  • general transferable skills of value in a wide range of situations, including problem solving, communication, and working with others, as well as the effective use of general IT facilities and information retrieval skills. They also include planning self-learning and improving performance, as the foundation for lifelong learning/CPD.

The UK Standards for Professional Engineering Competence (UK-SPEC) requirements offer a framework for the design and development of all engineering degree programmes. These requirements form the learning outcomes of a bachelor's degree with honours, and provide a basis for employment, research or for further study to Master's level. The full range of outcomes an engineering graduate would be expected to have can be found at www.engc.org.uk/ukspec.

On the satisfactory completion of one of the many different types of engineering programmes, graduates will look to begin a professional career in some aspect of engineering or technology. However, not all engineering graduates will take this route as the skills and attributes they have developed also make them attractive to many different types of employer within industry, finance, consultancy, and the public services.

To check the growing range of resources produced by the Subject Centre to support employability and the use of this profile (including the Skills and Attributes map) go to www.engsc.ac.uk.

This profile was produced in 2006, based on the QAA benchmark at that time. A revised benchmark statement for engineering can be found at www.qaa.ac.uk/AssuringStandardsAndQuality/subject-guidance/Pages/Honours-degree-benchmark-statements.aspx


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