ENGINEERING COUNCIL OF SOUTH AFRICA

Report onEngineering Skills Summit 2012

Thursday, 10 April 2014

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Outline of Presentation

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• Background report leading to the skills summit• Purpose of the skills summit• Summit delegates• Highlights of the Minister’s speech• Summit discussion themes • Summit recommendations and post summit

Activities • Joint Engineering Education Working Group

Engineering Education Summit

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• In 2011 ECSA conducted research into the barriers preventing engineering students from passing on the 4 year BSc Engineering program.

• What motivated the research?

% of Students who graduate from a 4 year BSc Eng programme within 5 yrs

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Graduated within 5 years

Still registered after 5 years

4 year Bachelor’s (Eng)

54% 19%

National Diploma (Eng)

17% 14%

Scott, I., Yeld, N., & Hendry, J. (2007). A case for improving teaching and learning in South African higher education. Pretoria: Council on Higher Education (CHE) and Higher Education Quality Committee (HEQC), http://www.che.ac.za/documents/d000155/index.php.

Research identified seven areas to be addressed

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1. School system2. Student selection3. Engineering Curriculum4. Teaching and learning5. Student support6. Staffing7. Funding

Consultation between DHET & ECSA

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• Research findings presented to the Department of Higher Education & Training (DHET) (Dec 2011)

• Two further areas to be addressed were identified8. Workplace Integrated Learning (WIL) ……… Nat. Diploma9. Articulation between FET Colleges and Universities

Engineering Skills Summit Partnership

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• ECSA conceptualised and hosted the Skills Summit

with the following partners:

• Department of Higher Education & Training,

• merSETA,

• SASEE

Purpose of the Engineering Skills Summit 2012

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• National debate on barriers to student success

• Share ECSA’s 2011 research report:

“ Throughput study in the Engineering Bachelors Degree”

• Develop Recommendations & Resolutions to present to the Minister of Higher Education

• Impact Policy & Practice i.r.o. Engineering Education

Summit Delegates

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• A total of 230 delegates attended the Summit on the 16 October 2012 in Kempton Park

• Conference Delegates included a wide range of stakeholders: – Higher Education Institutions, – Further Education and Training (FET) Colleges, – industry and commerce, – Government department at all three tiers .

Highlights of the Minister of HE&T Speech

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• Dr Engela van Staden was speaking on behalf of Higher Education and Training Minister Blade Nzimande

• DHET would heed the call to reconsider the funding model pertaining to engineering faculties

• South Africa lagged far behind in the number of engineers proportionate to population, compared with the UK, Australia Brazil, and India.

Summit Themes and Discussion Groups

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1. School system & Student Selection -2. Curriculum aspects and interventions-3. Teaching and learning - 4. Student support - 5. Staffing - 6. Funding - 7. WIL - 8. Articulation -

Post Engineering Skills Summit

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• Detailed report containing recommendations from each of the eight discussion groups were received and consolidated

• The final Summit Report containing recommendations was presented to the Minister of Higher Education and Training Minister Blade Nzimande in January 2013

• Recommendations are intended to influence policy and practice of Engineering education which in turn will lead to increased engineering graduate output

Engineering Skills Summit recommendations

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• 15 recommendations were made and 4 strategic interventions emanated from the recommendations as follows:

A national talent Pipeline and student support initiative

Flexible curriculum for first degrees and Diplomas in

Engineering

Improving Teaching and Learning

Funding of Engineering Programmes

Post Engineering Skills Summit

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• A joint Engineering Education working Group was constituted in April 2013 between: ECSA

DHET

Vocational and Continuing Education and Training

Skills branches

Universities

The scope of work of the joint working group is focused on providing recommendations to the Department regarding the:

• Introduction of a formal programme accreditation system in the FET sector

• A pilot for improving quality of programmes in colleges • Improving the FET lecturer capacity in engineering studies at

the colleges• Establishing a formal relationship with the Quality Councils

with specific focus on Umalusi and QCTO if a formal accreditation system is to be introduced.

Project Scope/Purpose

At the meeting of the DHET-ECSA JTTT, TVET (Technical Vocation Education & Training) – Working Group Meeting held on 18 February 2014 the following formed the core of the discussions:

• Currently at DHET there are four(4) different working groups with overlapping mandates.

• The Terms of Reference (TOR) for this Project (DHET- ECSA -JTTT) is in the process of being formalised though the DDG’s of both VCET (Continuing Vocational Education & Training) and HE.

• The work being done through this project is to develop a Framework for all disciplines.

• The need for the development of an Engineering Science curriculum was highlighted and the necessity for that it be declared a compulsory subject for the Engineering and Related Design (ERD) option

Current Status

• The need to introduce drawing as a subject.• The necessity to address certain areas of specialisation such

as Machining and Structural.• The current National Certificate (Vocation) [NC(V)] is too

rigid.• The need for the development of lecturing staff and

Continuing Professional Development.• The need for a basis of registration of lecturing staff including

those without a formal qualification.• TVET Sector needs to align with the ECSA standards at NQF

Level 5.• The custodian responsible for the Accreditation of the TVET

Colleges and Programmes needs to be considered.

ECSA will need to ensure that progress is being made to address the Seven Levers and additional themes highlighted at the Engineering Summit of 2012.

However, all Stakeholder need to take note that any improvement, development in terms of curriculum review and lecturing staff development requires funding and capacity.To review a curriculum requires the following:– Writers– Screening– Lecturing development– Infrastructure– Three year phase in process.

Critical Issues and Decisions Required

• Potential avenues to assist with the mandate of the task team is:– Involvement of the Voluntary Associations– The South African College Principals Organisation

• It is envisaged that ECSA will play a significant role in accreditation of the TVET arena and this will require a significant increase in capacity and resourcing within ECSA.

Thank you - Enkosi - Ha khensa - Re a leboga - Ro livhuwa - Siyabonga - Siyathokoza - Dankie