How to Train an Engineer

A Proposed Model

Deepa J
Sandeepani: School of Embedded System Design
CoreEL Technologies (I) Pvt. Ltd.
Bangalore, India
deepa.j@coreel.com

Abstract—This paper explores the difference between an engineering? Is an Automotive engineer an Electronics
employable engineer and a graduate engineer and proposes a model graduate or a Mechanical graduate? The answers are, a
to reduce/ eliminate the disconnect between the two. Computer science graduate who has learnt electronics or vice
versa and a Mechanical engineer who has learnt electronics or
The Industry operates in a fast-paced, dynamically changing vice versa. The required on-the-job knowledge is increasingly
environment. Universities are steeped in academic tradition and multi-disciplinary in nature, so where do we draw the
although they may be amenable to change, inertia is high and change boundaries?
is a slow process. Industry and Academia are two very different
worlds who do not share a common language. “Although engineering schools aim to prepare students for
the profession, they are heavily influenced by academic
This paper proposes a training model, which involves the traditions that do not always support the profession’s needs.”
introduction of a layer between these two worlds, a communication [1]
and feedback medium that can help bridge the divide.
All are in agreement that a gap does exist between the
The focus is on a symbiotic relationship between Universities, required skills of the employable engineer and the skills of the
Technical Finishing Schools (who can cater to the vocational graduate engineer.
training of an Engineer), and the Industry.
This paper explores that gap and proposes a model to
Keywords—engineering; education; technical; finishing reduce/eliminate it.
schools; colleges; industry; employability; communication;
feedback. II. THE GAP
Drawing on personal experience, I would summarise the
I. INTRODUCTION required knowledge, skills and attributes of an ideal
In a world that is increasingly driven by technology, there employable engineer as:
is barely any realm that remains untouched by Engineering. 1. Strong Technical base
From medical science to household appliances, from space
exploration to the lone hiker, from pure science to pure (Good understanding of fundamental principles,
entertainment, technology and engineering products are Subject knowledge, Broad theory base, Full System
everywhere. perspective …)
As the job of an engineer grows more varied and more 2. An Engineering Approach
specialised, the skills demanded of an engineer have changed
(Strong analytical skills, Problem solving approach,
over the years. As the introduction to the book “Educating
Ability to ask the right questions, Capability to
Engineers” aptly says:
decompose a problem, Logical thought flow,
“Amidst complex challenges of unprecedented scale and Technical writing skills, Self-learning ability,
urgency, the profession of engineering has new global Curiosity, Creativity, Effective communication skills,
significance—and responsibilities. Undergraduate engineering Ability to work in a team, Process-oriented…)
programs, the source of the professional degree, struggle to
3. Professional Values
transmit a base of technical knowledge even as it grows
exponentially, leaving little room for students to develop the (Ethics, Accountability, Initiative, Integrity, Social
skills and professional identity necessary to meeting the Responsibility, Commitment, Ownership…)
responsibilities of engineering in this new century.” [1]
In addition, a couple of value-added skills would be:
The technical base itself is a challenging task as disciplines
merge and the lines between the various branches of 1. Relevant domain knowledge
engineering grow increasingly fuzzy. Is an Embedded systems 2. Appropriate tool expertise
engineer a product of Computer Science or Electronics
 The current prime focus of Colleges and Universities is on Imparting relevant technical knowledge and skills is the
setting the technical knowledge base. core premise, but it should be packaged in such a way that the
competencies of design, practice, professionalism, ethics and
“A jam-packed curriculum focused on technical knowledge communication are integrated into a seamless whole.
is the means for preparing students for a profession that
demands a complex mix of formal, contextual, social, tacit and
explicit knowledge.” [1] UNIVERSITY Fundamental concepts
The other two aspects (An Engineering Approach; Technical Courses
Professional Values) are not part of the course curriculum and, Colleges Full System Perspective
in truth, some of it cannot be taught. However they are an Career Awareness
essential part of what makes a good engineer and should be
considered in the training of an engineer.
There is a growing disconnect between an employable Specialised Skills
engineer and a graduate engineer. This is, in part, due to the Domain Knowledge
fact that there is no tangible feedback path between Industry Technical Engineering Approach
and Academia. The dialogue between the two is fragmented Finishing Schools Professional Values
and inconclusive.

III. PROPOSED MODEL

The ideal (and much talked about) scenario is for On the Job Learning
Engineering colleges to completely revamp their curriculum Companies Skill Enhancement
and teaching methodology to map onto the requirements of the Company Culture
Industry.
INDUSTRY
“Redesigning undergraduate engineering education will
demand an enormous effort on the part of faculty. It will
involve more than learning about, designing, and implementing Fig. 1: The Proposed Model
integrated curricular structures and active pedagogies. It will
involve fundamentally rethinking the role and even the makeup This model proposes minimal radical changes in the two
of the faculty.” [1] established sectors of the University and the Industry. It
Redesigning undergraduate engineering education suggests the setting up of a practical feedback path that can
overnight is both impractical and unrealistic. It calls for a result in slow, incremental improvements over a long period of
massive one-time effort, which, even if it does happen, will be time.
rendered obsolete in a few years. At the college level, the model stresses that they should
The need of the hour is to establish an effective continue doing what they do best – impart technical
communication path between the two spaces of Academia and knowledge. Universities should set a base of strong
Industry. Change should trickle in and contribute to a fundamentals in science, math and engineering for technical
constantly evolving process, such that the two spaces remain finishing schools to build upon.
tightly united while retaining their individual identities. The change called for at the college level is two-fold:
This paper proposes the introduction of a layer between the 1. Expose the students to a full system perspective in
University and the Industry. An entity that serves as a their respective field
communication and feedback medium between the two, in
addition to adding value to the quality of Engineering input to (Eg: An Electronics engineer should understand a
the Industry. basic system-on-a-chip architecture and all its
constituent parts; An Automotive engineer should
It suggests the creation of Technical Finishing Schools that understand the complete system of at least one type of
are carved out of the training organisations of companies. This automobile.)
close link to Industry will ensure that it understands the needs
of the companies. The fact that it is a training organisation 2. Introduce a Career Awareness program
ensures that it shares a common language with Academia.
(Students should have a basic understanding of the
The goal of a Technical Finishing School is to serve as a various job profiles that are available to them as a
bridge between Academia and Industry. result of their engineering degree. This will enable
them to make an informed choice about the
It should be a school where the employees of tomorrow specialisation that they can opt for at a Technical
make the leap from thinking like students to thinking like Finishing School.)
engineers. A place where personality is developed, skills are
taught and attributes are honed. This will then set the stage for the Technical Finishing Schools
to take over and mould an employable engineer.
 This paper does not propose that all graduates of approach to problems and inculcation of professional values in
engineering schools should be employed as engineers. On the their students.
contrary, it states that it should be a reducing pipeline as you
move from University to Industry. This selection and Technical Finishing schools should strive for and develop
elimination process will, given time, improve overall quality. core competencies in various engineering domains. For
example, in the VLSI domain, the output of an undergraduate
The Technical Finishing Schools will have an input program would be an Electronics engineer, whereas the output
screening process and all relevant feedback on candidate of a VLSI Technical Finishing School would be an Analog
selection, evaluation and performance will be shared with the design engineer, an Analog layout engineer, a Digital Design
respective colleges. engineer, a Verification engineer or a Physical Design engineer
and so on.
A similar feedback path will exist from companies to the
Technical Finishing Schools. All Finishing school graduates The final block in the model, the Industry, is the driver for
will not find a slot in the Industry. They will have to meet change. They are the end users, the ones who determine and
stringent criteria established by the hiring teams. define the requirements. Technical Finishing Schools and
Colleges should evolve to meet those requirements.
The feedback path is the crux of this model. It gives both
Finishing schools and colleges valuable information on what The proposed model for the training of an effective,
aspects of training they need to focus on and improve. employable engineer requires the three entities (University,
Technical Finishing Schools and Companies) to work with and
Feedback from Industry to Technical Finishing Schools can support each other. All three stand to benefit from this
be broadly classified into the following areas: interaction.
1. Quality of the certified professionals The companies will save on cost of hiring, as they only
2. Required job profiles need to approach the relevant Technical Finishing Schools to
get the required talent for their teams. They will also save on
3. Required on-the-job skills the initial training cost and have a support system in place for
4. Gaps in training future on-the-job training.
5. Knowledge share (New domains, latest trends in The Technical Finishing Schools will have their charter
R&D, industry practices, etc.) defined for them by the Industry. An effective interaction with
colleges will ensure that they get the required input student
6. Technical consultants from Industry (in the roles of quality to turn out the engineers of tomorrow.
Guest faculty, Subject matter experts, Members of the
board, Reviewing members, Advisory members, etc.) Engineering colleges can work in tandem with Technical
Finishing schools to ensure relevant student education. They
Feedback from Technical Finishing Schools to Colleges can be will receive the support and expertise needed to upgrade their
broadly classified into the following areas: curriculum and keep it current.
1. Quality of the students
IV. AN EXAMPLE
2. Pre-requisite courses
Sandeepani, the training division of CoreEL Technologies (I)
3. Gaps in training Pvt. Ltd. is an example of a Technical Finishing School with a
4. Knowledge share (New courses, tools, methodologies, vision that aligns with this proposed model. The school runs
etc.) four to six month Professional Development Courses in VLSI
and Embedded Systems for B.Tech and M.Tech students. The
5. Technical consultants from Technical Finishing
challenge faced in making these truly vocational in nature is
schools (in the roles of Guest faculty, Subject matter
experts, Members of the board, Reviewing members, that the students enter with poor fundamentals and a
Advisory members, etc.) significant portion of the course duration is spent in
strengthening the basics.
Motivation to change is an inherent aspect of this model as an Sandeepani is actively working with colleges to strengthen the
outcome of the selection process. curriculum and teaching methodologies at the university level.
It is in the interest of Technical Finishing Schools to The proposition is to do this via two modes:
improve their input student quality and they will have the time
and ability to inspire incremental change at the undergraduate 1. Establish an Industrial Centre of Excellence at the
college level. Similarly the companies and their selection college and host relevant courses with external
criteria and feedback will drive change in the curriculum and faculty.
teaching methodologies of the Technical Finishing Schools.
2. Aid the improvement of the regular curriculum
Technical Finishing Schools will function as vocational
courses by providing the support of Subject Matter
training centres. They will train engineers in the required on-
the-job skills. Their focus will be on imparting relevant domain Experts (SMEs) who will review and strengthen the
knowledge, specialised skills, tool training, an engineering course.
 V. CONCLUSION schools and to drive for the creation of more such schools to
This model proposes a realistic way to bridge the Industry fill the void between the Industry and Academia.
and Academia. It suggests a practical approach to establishing
effective communication between the various links in the REFERENCES
chain.
The spine of this model is the communication and feedback [1] S. D. Sheppard, K. Macatangay, A. Colby and W. M. Sullivan,
Educating Engineers: Designing for the Future of the Field (Winter
path, hence a request goes out to all Universities and 2008), Carnegie/Jossey-Bass.
Companies to partner with existing Technical Finishing [2] http://ifoundry.illinois.edu