Engineering graduates ‘not prepared for the workplace’

Based on a national survey of engineering graduate employers and in-depth interviews with industry members of the Association of Graduate Employers (AGR), the report reveals that over 30% of engineering employers are critical, or at best neutral about how well engineering degrees prepare students for employment. Though complimentary about the technical knowledge graduates have, interviewees said they were concerned about the lack of core engineering skills of many applicants. "Much has been reported about the shortage of engineering graduates for industry, but employers have concerns about the quality of some applicants and their lack of broader abilities like commercial awareness and core engineering skills," commented the report's author, David Sanderson. Interestingly, employers also said they were increasingly assessing graduate applicants for their ethical standards and cultural awareness. They also called for universities and advisory boards to 'stop talking shop' and help them on more than just a superficial level so that they can obtain the right graduates for their needs.