‘Thinking outside the box – case studies in attempts to increase student enrolments’
Mark HoffmanDean of EngineeringUNSW Sydney
UNSW Engineering & Technology Innovation Ecosystem
Mark Hoffman - AusIMM Resources Education Collaboration Summit
2018 Equivalent Full-time Student Load
Dean’s Unit Staff: 75 (20 embedded)
~16,000+ students34% U/grad international 28% Female u/grad commencing
852 staff (Academic: 585, Technical 220, Professional 267)
29.4% growth EFTSL 2016-825% growth research income 2016-8
8 Schools
(end 2018)UNSW Engineering Faculty Profile
Student Headcount
Postgraduate5,26331%
Research1,0586%
Undergraduate10,79263%
2018 Research Income by School
2Mark Hoffman - AusIMM Resources Education Collaboration Summit
Plenty of students studying at university!
3
Australian Council of Engineering Deans / Australian Government Department of Education and Training (DET) collections
Mark Hoffman - AusIMM Resources Education Collaboration Summit
Engineering Workforce Sources
• High-growth economies worldwide have shortage of engineers
• Australia immigrates >50% of engineering workforce
The Engineering Profession, Engineers Australia, February 2017
Mark Hoffman - AusIMM Resources Education Collaboration Summit
Engineering: mix of students changing
5
Australian Council of Engineering Deans / Australian Government Department of Education and Training (DET) collections
Graduating students:
Mark Hoffman - AusIMM Resources Education Collaboration Summit
Different branches of Engineering trending differently
6
Australian Council of Engineering Deans / Australian Government Department of Education and Training (DET) collections
Graduating students:
Mark Hoffman - AusIMM Resources Education Collaboration Summit
UNSW Engineering International Students• Reflective of Sydney’s cultural diversity and
growth
• Linked to national skills shortage
• Anecdotally:
– 50% of international students return to home country, 50% stay.
– Similar number of local students take first job offshore
• Builds deep cross-national links, well beyond education
Equi
vale
nt F
ull T
ime
Stud
ent L
oad
0
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
7,000
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
UG PG HDR Non-Award Total
Mark Hoffman - AusIMM Resources Education Collaboration Summit
Issues to address
8
• Align graduates with national skills needs:1. Very high level of engineering skilled immigration2. Insufficient graduates to fill needs3. Especially problematic in disciplines where Australia is national leader
Eg mining, resources, infrastructure
• Other issues:5. Mobility of employees – many different jobs6. Fast changing skill needs7. Globally competitive environment
Mark Hoffman - AusIMM Resources Education Collaboration Summit
What motivates students to choose study paths?
9
1. Looks exciting
2. See a future
3. Understand what it’s about
4. Employability and salaries
5. Cost
Influencers:
1. Family
2. Friends
3. Media
Mark Hoffman - AusIMM Resources Education Collaboration Summit
How to recruit more students? ……. It depends
10
Marketing:• Has to be on the back of other influences• Industry an important partner• Perception of industry is important
Tools:• Scholarships• Design of study programs• Typical product publicity tools• High School outreach
Based upon attracting most students – funding models Linking to industry needs secondary….. unless financially supported
(resources industry, nuclear engineering
Mark Hoffman - AusIMM Resources Education Collaboration Summit
A UNSW success story…. female students
11
Nationally….. Pe
rcen
tage
of w
omen
in e
ngin
eerin
g st
udy
Australian Council of Engineering Deans / Australian Government Department of Education and Training (DET) collections
Mark Hoffman - AusIMM Resources Education Collaboration Summit
UNSW Women in Engineering Program• The number of women STARTING
engineering degrees at UNSW has increased 45% since 2013
• Increase in fraction of women entering engineering programs from 19% (2014) to 28% (Feb 2019). Goal 30% by 2020
• Summer camp 110 attendees 2018
• 36 new scholarships worth $1.4m (28 from industry)
• Provide a pipeline of female engineers into workforce
12
Engineering is a service profession. We need to ensure that our makeup reflects the society we seek to serve.“ ”
Mark Hoffman - AusIMM Resources Education Collaboration Summit
Combined degrees
1. Examples:
• Bachelor of Engineering / BSc or LLB or BA or Comm or……
• Bachelor of Engineering / Masters of Engineering…. BE/MBiomed
• BE / BE….. Civil / Mining Engineering, Chemical / Materials Engineering
2. Give students breadth
• preparing for many professions
• not sure what they want to 17 / 18 years old
• More resilience
3. 46% of students – high fraction of local students
13Mark Hoffman - AusIMM Resources Education Collaboration Summit
Coursework Masters1. Purposes:
• Upskilling in another engineering specialisation, e.g.• Mining engineering• Materials engineering• Renewable energy engineering
2. Gaining accredited engineering qualification, e.g. • Civil engineering• Software engineering
3. Significant growth area
4. 1-2 years
5. Very high employability (QILT 96%)
14Mark Hoffman - AusIMM Resources Education Collaboration Summit
Stacking credentials
15
Coursera
Mark Hoffman - AusIMM Resources Education Collaboration Summit
Working with partners to gain flexibility
16
Source http://www.holoniq.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/HolonIQ-Extract-Anatomy-of-an-OPM.pdf
Mark Hoffman - AusIMM Resources Education Collaboration Summit
Summary - increase student enrolments• Need an ecosystem not just universities, or one university
• Public perception of industry is key
• Provide students with options and resilience / sustainability
• Look at options for your industry and discuss with providers
– How you studied may not be the best option
• Be aware of universities business model
• Education is a lifelong endeavour
Mark Hoffman - AusIMM Resources Education Collaboration Summit
Thank you