Development of Undergraduate Students’ Professional Skills

Preliminary Work on Weaving Professionalism Throughout the Engineering Curriculum

“…Propelled by input from these interviews -combined with a consistent message from well-regarded publications that speak to the desired attributes of engineers, such as The Engineer of 2020 22 and Educating the Engineer of 2020 21 -her work resulted in the 2007 launch of the Professional Learning Institute (PLI), a college-wide program to provide students with real-world professional skills to complement technical curricula. 30 Featuring a series of talks and workshops led primarily by industry professionals, the PLI program addresses five topic areas, or pillars, which map to ABET's non-technical outcomes: cultural adaptability, civic and public engagement, ethics, innovation, and leadership. While the PLI began as an optional program, all engineering majors are now required to participate in 11 PLI sessions distributed as follows: cultural adaptability (two sessions), civic and public engagement (two sessions), ethics (three sessions), innovation (two sessions), and leadership (two sessions).…”

“…21,22,28,30 Like many institutions across the country, the ECE department has joined in the push to instill professionalism in its students, but the work has come with a set of challenges. It has long been recognized that teaching professionalism can be particularly challenging for engineering faculty who must balance the need for deeply technical content with the demand for professional skills development.…”

Assessing the Impact of an Industry-led Professional Development Workshop on the 21st Century 'Soft' Skills of CM Students at an HBCU

“…This makes these graduates ill-equipped to meet the challenges of the job market and the expectations of their employers 9 . Engineering and technology programs have been frequently accused of emphasizing technical skills and leaving little room for nontechnical or soft skills 4,10 . The undergraduate programs for developing professionals for the construction industry largely emphasize technical skills, while underemphasizing the soft skills needed for the industry 4 .…”

“…Many undergraduate programs have tried many different approaches for developing these soft, professional skills in their students 10 . A multitude of co-curricular involvement could enhance the development of skills and attributes that are relevant to engineering education and practice 11 .…”

Systematic Team Formation Leading to Peer Support and Leadership Skills Development

“…There is a growing consensus on the importance of leadership skills in engineering practice and education in the US and worldwide 1 . From the viewpoint of Bonasso (2001), the focus on technical skills can overlook the value of an engineering education as a foundation for becoming a successful leader in many activities that benefit society 2 .…”