21st-century competencies in engineering education: initiation, evolution, current, and now whither to

The fibre of engineering education has evolved from knowledge to competencies. This is a logical consequence of the technologically advanced and multifaceted learning environment where engineers are expected to be technically acute along with a set of essential non-technical competencies. This change is referred to as a ‘paradigm shift’ in engineering education. Hence, the vision of learning is to immerse a progressive, learner-centric, and competency-based learning environment to face the uncertainties of the 21st century. There are various ways to improve the performance of learners by implementing the available competency frameworks, but the need is to initiate a set of essential competencies according to their nature and purpose that can endure across disciplines. In this paper, the evolution of competencies from the essential to the necessary is reviewed. Finally, the benefits of these competencies in relation to the performance of the engineers are discussed in detail through semi-structured interviews conducted with the engineers. MAXQDA, a qualitative data analysis tool, is used to analyse the data. The findings will help the engineers in grooming their competencies according to the industries

Experiential learning: integrating learning and experience in shaping the future of the engineers

The industry demands skill-equipped engineering graduates who could be efficient enough to adapt to face the challenges of uncertainty posed by a lack of skills and resources. Accreditation boards have identified problem-solving, teamwork, communication, etc. as the workplace required skills. However, industry/employers feel that the engineers seem to lack problem-solving, teamwork, etc. To groom these skills, experiential learning (EL) platform provides hands-on practice. Thus, the study aims to gain insights into the need of experiential learning to integrate learning and experience. The study, qualitative in nature, focuses on the essential skills, specifically problem-solving skills, against the applicability of experiential learning. Experiential learning allows engineering students to get a hands-on approach to practise their acquired skills to understand industrial needs and constraints. In the given context, problem solving helps in knowing what is learnt and what needs to be learnt

Essentiality of knowing transversal competencies: towards engineering education sustainability and industry readiness of engineering students

Engineering education is to prepare engineers for real-world challenges and seek novel solutions to cater to society's different needs. There is an increase in the global demand for industry-ready engineers. Engineering education sustainability and industry readiness are mutually inclusive, where the former is the combination of different skills and transversal competencies, while the latter is all about their applicability. Transversal competencies, transferable across disciplines, chisel engineering students to become versatile and practical on the shop floor. Sustainability in engineering education is usually discussed only from the ecological/environmental viewpoints. This paper tries to find out the relevance of transversal competencies from the perspectives of engineering students at three levels: the most recurring competencies, the competencies they lack, and the ones that need improvement. Recurring and essential transversal competencies such as problem-solving, creativity and innovation, communication, lifelong learning etc., were identified from different policy frameworks of accreditation agencies, industry reports, organizational reports, and academia. Primary data was collected from final-year engineering students for this exploratory research through semi-structured interviews. These transversal competencies, latent throughout the formative years, have a definite role in the engineer's industry readiness, making engineering education sustainable. The need for industry readiness of the engineering students indicates the sustainability of engineering education, which can bridge the gap between the industry and academia. The paper reveals opportunities for further expansion of the competency frameworks in the policymaking and accreditation procedures