Murray, M. (2024) Civil engineering employers' engagement in work-integrated learning. Proceedings of Institution of Civil Engineers: Management, Procurement and Law, 179(1), pp. 58-70. ISSN 1751-4304
Abstract
In this paper, two case studies of enhancing undergraduate students' learning through work-integrated learning are presented. Both interventions involve university–industry partnerships with local and regional civil engineering employers. Industry Mentoring (2010–2024) is a curricular activity with an authentic assessment. Third-year student mentees (n = 1130) were mentored by 298 practising civil engineers, representing 80 employers. Civil Engineering 4 Real (CE4R, 2012–2024) is a co-curricular hybrid programme of problem/project-based evening workshops (n = 133), attended by 594 students with around 2867 student attendances, supported by 218 engineers, representing 76 employers. Industry Mentoring and CE4R support students to network with employers, enhance their employability skills, and shape their professional identity. Through their free assistance, employers have established a talent pipeline, recruiting students for summer placements and graduate jobs. For employers, their engagement provides evidence of enacting their corporate social responsibility through providing a social value contribution to a local university.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | education & training; employers; social impact; students |
| Index terms: | identity, workshop, civil engineer, engineer, corporate social responsibility, pipeline, partnership, summer, undergraduate, mentoring, case study, programme, social impact, placement, social value, evidence, employability |
| Subjects: | project controls, management, construction type, profession, human resources and leadership, evaluation and assessment methods, curriculum development, health safety and environment, infrastructure and transport systems, data collection methods, sociology, training, partnership management, climate science |
| Topics: | Research Practice, Time Control, Roles and Professions, Health and Safety, Stakeholder Management, Engineering Principles, Education, Human Resources, Construction Technology, Sustainability, Urban Studies |
| Descriptive scope: | 5 PCTEA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here