Management Education For Engineers In The 21 st

Management Education For Engineers In The 21 st Century: A New Paradigm For Professional Development Providers Steven Goh Academic Engineer Accountant Restaurateur

SEMIG Sustainable Engineering Management Interest Group Innovation. Leadership. Sustainability Mission Statement To be at the forefront of Engineering Management research in the area of Innovation, Leadership and Sustainability, hinged on collaborative projects with industry and be an avenue for knowledge dissemination and implementation.

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Challenge in Engineering Education Educators vs Facilitators of Learning

A Call for Reform n Big Issues Roundtable (Committee for Economic Development of Australia) n Dr. Rob Simons (The Smith Family) “With educational transformation there is need for greater integration and porosity among walls, systems and sectors. ” “Business council of Australia expressed a concern about how business can come to the table in enhancing and driving change effectively in the education sector both in terms of design and strategy, programs that are effective in the marshalling of evidence that will bring about improved practice. ” n KPMG’s 2008 Global Construction Survey “On a global level, there has historically been little or no collaboration between stakeholders such as companies, universities and governments”

Solutions? n Collaborate

The Professional Development Environment n Environmental Scan in 2007 n n Customised MBAs favoured Corporatisation of education Proliferation of short courses and workshops Some examples n n EEA & education partners In-house Operations n n n n GHD Business School Qantas Engineering Mining Education Australia (UQ, CU, UNSW, UA) New department of postgraduate teaching & research in Engineering Leadership (Uo. S Warren Centre for Advanced Engineering) Regional & SME accessibility & portability difficult Articulation of short Courses difficult Pathways are increasingly congested and polarised

Solutions? n Collaborate n Consolidate

The Professional Development Environment n Engineers Australia Chartered Status & Competencies n Accredited short courses n Professional Development Program n Leadership Development Program n n What is needed for the 21 st Century Engineering Manager?

A Call for Reform n Patricia Galloway (CEO of Nielsen-Wurster Group) n n n Author of a Book* “ 21 st Century Engineer: A Proposal for Engineering Education Reform” Proposes a new Mater’s degree in Professional Engineering Management Believes soft “fundamental capacities” are still not being taught at either undergraduate or postgraduate levels 21 st century environment that pose challenges for which engineers may be unprepared for Summarised her case with quote “an engineering educational system that has not kept pace with the demands of the marketplace” *Galloway, P (2008) 21 st Century Engineer: A Proposal for Engineering Education Reform, American Society of Civil Engineers Press.

21 st Century Engineering Manager 2020 Vision Report* has indicated that changes in the operating environment and workplace will see the Engineering Manager of the 21 st Century to be: n n n n n Global & Mobile Culturally Aware Strong Technical Acumen Strong interpersonal skills & High EQ A Leader of teams (team-oriented leadership) Encountering complex issues and mega projects Increased number of diverse stakeholders Difficult to find Work/Life balance Essential to develop life-long learning habits * Nicholson J & Nairn, A (2006) 2020 Vision: The Manager of the 21 st Century, A report by Boston Consulting Group for Innovation & Business Skills Australia, Commonwealth of Australia.

21 st Century Skills Set? n n n n Globalisation Communication Ethics Professionalism Diversity Leadership Sustainability Risks & Security

Solutions? n Collaborate n Consolidate n Revitalise

HR / L&D Managers’ Viewpoint n Learning is much more than just creating courses – it’s managing the people n Corporate education programs are enabling companies to link the development of their employees to business goals & performance n Recognition that formal training accounts for only a fraction of organisational learning n Disseminating knowledge in a formal classroom is incredibly expensive and inefficient (especially for SME? ) n Training courses are not the core requirement of leadership development but need to be integrated into wider process of feedback and structured experience

HR / L&D Managers’ Viewpoint n 70 -20 -10 Approach of Leadership Development* n n 70% on the job; 20% feedback and learning from others through mentoring and coaching; 10% learning programs EA’s Professional Development Program n n Progression to Chartered Status Opportunity for Mentoring Career Episode Reports 80% of learning in the workplace happens informally** n Recognition and articulation of informal Learning? n n Management vs Leadership debate Team Oriented Leadership vs Individualised Leadership n Who is supporting and mentoring the mentors – Engineering Manager’s Support Network? *Lominger, M & Eichinger, R (2002) The Leadership Machine: Architecture to Develop Leaders for Any Future, Lominger Ltd. **Quotation of Jay Cross, US learning theorist & author

Solutions? n Collaborate n Consolidate n Revitalise n Recognise n Articulate

Summary n n n n n A call for reform and collaboration Dynamic but fragmented education market place Proliferation of short courses and workshops 21 st Century manager attributes & skills set Drive to customisation of learning Alignment to organisational goals & performance Recognition of informal learning and mentoring Articulations & pathways Accessibility & portability Collaborate, consolidate, revitalise, recognise, articulate

A Notice in Starbucks n Peer Support Network? n Wiki resource? n Virtual mentors? n Workplace is the classroom? n No lectures or Assignments? Educators becoming Facilitators of Learning!