Career path for engineering students - A Novel Approach

Synopsis

Students who could identify and pursue a career path at the entry stage of under graduation in engineering education with due consideration of their real aptitude, passion, strength and weakness are more likely to have a satisfying life and turn out to be future ready technical human resource. However many compulsions, job market demand push and lack of opportunities to explore own passion, dream and capabilities often impede realizing such a career path and focused manpower. This could lead to many pitfalls including skewed utilization of talents in our country. The Alumni Association of reputed National Institute of Technology, Calicut (NITCAA)i with its wide and deep professional expertise spread over the world had detailed deliberations in this matter and referred  many well researched papers and reports. NITCA Trivandrum Chapter expresses its keen interest and willingness to support APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University, Thiruvananthapuram (KTU) with:(a) Psychometric assessment module to authentically explore the aptitude, strength and skill sets of students in selecting course subjects and career paths and (b) handholding the engineering students and faculties in identifying and executing academic projects relevant for future ready scenario and imparting exposure and orientation to teaching faculties for effective implementation of Outcome Based Education (OBE) .This concept note is submitted for further discussions converging to implementation of (a) and (b) initially in selected institutions.

Background

In the present-day scenario, most of the students at their entry stage in undergraduate course, except those securing Medical stream, are observed to be uncertain about their career path. It is the job which ultimately decides about their way of life, professional profile and happiness. The uncertainties regarding their future arise mainly due to the mismatching of their taste, talents, skill, and aspiration with the course stream and subject pursued . This may lead to adverse psychological impact on them, and fear of failure and role conflict may shadow throughout their life.

Here the effects include, but not limited to the following:-

  • Lack of clear occupational aspirations
  • Young people continue to struggle in the job market 
  • The mismatch between what societies and economies demand and education systems supply, including deficiencies in employability
  • Academic success alone would be an insufficient means of ensuring a smooth transition into good employment.

Present Scenario

Academic Stage

The selection of the topic for Graduation itself is not by own choice. The selection process in our state is through for a competitive examination /entrance test, and sometimes taking weightage of the qualifying academic score. For most of the professional courses the entrance examination can be cleared by studying in predetermined and stereotype methodologies. The candidate’s real interest in the subject is notat all evaluated. And those who score less in competitive entrance examinations, often left with no options to choose subject of their interest. Thus, many suffer during the whole academic period, entailing to even resorting to unrest in behavior. 

Career Stage

First of all, most of the students are unaware of the career which they can probably select based on their academic background and skill. Many students choose their career path aimlessly and land-up in jobs that they are not suited to them. A few years later they could feel frustrated and y that time changing their career path would be tiresome or impossible.

Most probable Solution

If students pass through a phase of career exploration wherein, they are exposed to various career paths, they will get an opportunity to explore what career paths they can opt for, keeping their skills, potentials, and qualifications in focus.

There are two steps involved in it

  1. Self assessment: Essentially, it is a way to enhance self-understanding. It is being able to describe one’s unique characteristics clearly and accurately regarding what you do well (skills), what is important to you (values), and what you like to do (interests). Knowledge of one’s skills, values and interests will help determine the domain of work which fits best. The future job scenario shall also be factored into with respect to the current technological revolution and to recognize the full potential through this transformative phase. The current generation of  students is facing unprecedented uncertainty in how they anticipate and prepare for emerging skills and jobs, due to the impact of automation and continuous technological disruptions

This has a bearing on their strengths and limitation in terms of:

  • Matching skill sets, desirable activities, meaningful impact, exploratory intrigue.
  • An awareness of self (i.e. skills, interests, values) and an awareness of the engineering field (ie. nature of its work, its value to society, its value to the individual)

Through a ‘psychometric assessment”, consisting of aptitude tests, skills tests and personality tests together with in-person counseling, it would be possible to portray the strengths and potential of students. Psychometric assessments help with understanding the cognitive abilities, knowledge as well as the personality traits of students. Accordingly, it would be able to identify the broad domain in which a student is rightly fit for. When they come to know of their strengths, it would motivate them to enroll in courses in interested minor and in honor’s/elective courses during their study program. They will also try career fields of interest through summer jobs, internships, and volunteer work.

 

  1. ii)  Career Preparation: Once a career path has been decided through psychometric assessment and counseling, the next task is to begin planning how to prepare for the career and how to actually enter the field.  Students should set goals, defining tasks to achieve them setting up appropriate timing and sequence outline. They may also be self-motivated to conduct thorough job search campaigns, application to post graduate/professional school, Investigate the potential role of graduate or professional school in their career plans, participate in recruitment events,  Job & Internship Expo and talk to people working in career fields or organizations of interest. This could also include non engineering stream for engineers including entrepreneurships

Such a career plan will help students to identify their strengths and will be self motivated to choose their career which they would be passionate on, rather than taking up jobs that they are really not fit for.

Well experienced members of National institute of Technology, Calicut Alumni Association (NITCAA) Thirvanathapuram Chapter had detail deliberations on this matter and desired to approach APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University, Thiruvananthapuram to discuss further about it.

NITCAA can support:

  • Conducting psychometric assessment and identifying the right career path and
  • Providing   guidance on career opportunities by the right experts from the vast experienced talent pool of NITCAAfor students, faculties and identifying and implementing projects

Faculty training on Outcome Based Education/Project Based Learning

Outcome based education has been accepted all over the world as the learning style against the traditional lecture based teaching approach as it directly leads to increasing the proficiency of skill, knowledge, or behavior of the student. AICTE emphasizing the outcome based teaching –learning approach in Engineering Colleges in India.

One approach this learning process is problem based learning(PBL).The benefits of PBL include enhanced student participation in the learning process (active learning and self-learning), enhanced communication skillsand promotion of critical and proactive thinking. With PBL, students are encouraged to assume responsibility for their learning experience and to shift from passive to more active learning patterns.

In an affiliated system it would face a series of difficulties in its implementation due to varying standards of institutions, large number of faculty members and their varying experience levels etc. However, in Autonomous institutions it can be easily implemented as they have flexible curriculum and assessment procedures.

Implementation of OBE essentially involves two aspects:

  1. Faculty training and monitoring: Faculty members shall be trained on OBE curriculum development, teaching method and assessment procedures. It involves three to four years of continuous monitoring and mentoring.
  1. Implementation of PBL: PBL is an integral part of OBE. However, there will be the lack of industry exposure for faculty members in industry o practical problems. Industry problems are to be clearly stated to the students in which students work on solutions.

NITCAA-TVM has got a large pool of well experienced persons in Industry Research, Academia and in policy and administration.  NITCAA-TVM can create a Problem statement bank; branch-wise and course-wise. Creation of such a problem statement bank with solutions will be really helpful for faculty members.

In addition to this, , NITCAA-TVM can take initiatives in training faculty in OBE with the help of experts in the field. Substantial number of faculty members are yet to  receive formal training for faculty on OBE.

Through the above two process, the quality of engineering education can be substantially enhanced. 

Dr. George T.M. Ex. Faculty REC Calicut,

Former Principal, Mar Baselios College of Engineering, Trivandrum

 

A.M. Narayanan

Senior Advisor-Energy Policies & Projects GC Member NITCAA Trivandrum  Chairman , Projects Coordination

 

Sudheendran.M 

President , NITCAA Trivandrum