Management Education For Management Education For Engineers In The 21st Century: Engineers In The 21st Century:

A New Paradigm For Professional A New Paradigm For Professional

Development ProvidersDevelopment Providers

Steven GohAcademic Engineer Accountant Restaurateur

SEMIGSEMIG

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.

SEMIGSEMIG

Challenge in Engineering EducationChallenge in Engineering Education

Educators vs Facilitators of Learning

A Call for ReformA Call for Reform

Big Issues Roundtable (Committee for Economic Development of Australia)

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.”

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?Solutions?

Collaborate

The Professional Development EnvironmentThe Professional Development Environment

Environmental Scan in 2007 Customised MBAs favoured Corporatisation of education Proliferation of short courses and workshops

Some examples EEA & education partners In-house Operations

GHD Business School Qantas Engineering

Mining Education Australia (UQ, CU, UNSW, UA) New department of postgraduate teaching & research in Engineering

Leadership (UoS Warren Centre for Advanced Engineering)

Regional & SME accessibility & portability difficult Articulation of short Courses difficult Pathways are increasingly congested and polarised

Solutions?Solutions?

CollaborateConsolidate

The Professional Development EnvironmentThe Professional Development Environment

Engineers Australia Chartered Status & Competencies Accredited short courses Professional Development Program Leadership Development Program

What is needed for the 21st Century Engineering Manager?

A Call for ReformA Call for Reform

Patricia Galloway (CEO of Nielsen-Wurster Group)

Author of a Book* “21st 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

21st 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) 21st Century Engineer: A Proposal for Engineering Education Reform, American Society of Civil Engineers Press.

2121stst Century Engineering Manager Century Engineering Manager

2020 Vision Report* has indicated that changes in the operating environment and workplace will see the Engineering Manager of the 21st Century to be:

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 21st Century, A report by Boston Consulting Group for Innovation & Business Skills Australia, Commonwealth of Australia.

2121stst Century Skills Set? Century Skills Set?

Globalisation Communication Ethics Professionalism Diversity Leadership Sustainability Risks & Security

Solutions?Solutions?

CollaborateConsolidateRevitalise

HR / L&D Managers’ ViewpointHR / L&D Managers’ Viewpoint

Learning is much more than just creating courses – it’s managing the people

Corporate education programs are enabling companies to link the development of their employees to business goals & performance

Recognition that formal training accounts for only a fraction of organisational learning

Disseminating knowledge in a formal classroom is incredibly expensive and inefficient (especially for SME?)

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’ ViewpointHR / L&D Managers’ Viewpoint

70-20-10 Approach of Leadership Development* 70% on the job; 20% feedback and learning from others through mentoring and

coaching; 10% learning programs EA’s Professional Development Program

Progression to Chartered Status Opportunity for Mentoring Career Episode Reports

80% of learning in the workplace happens informally**

Recognition and articulation of informal Learning?

Management vs Leadership debate Team Oriented Leadership vs Individualised Leadership

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?Solutions?

CollaborateConsolidateRevitaliseRecogniseArticulate

SummarySummary

A call for reform and collaboration Dynamic but fragmented education market place Proliferation of short courses and workshops 21st 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 StarbucksA Notice in Starbucks

Peer Support Network? Wiki resource?

Virtual mentors? Workplace is the

classroom? No lectures or

Assignments?

Educators becoming

Facilitators of Learning!