Stepping Into One Another's World: Apprenticeships - Transforming Engineering Technologist Education in New Zealand
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STEPPING INTO ONE ANOTHER’S WORLD APPRENTICESHIPS – TRANSFORMING ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGIST EDUCATION IN NEW ZEALAND ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR JANE GOODYER AND DR GREG FRATER SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY STEPPING INTO ONE ANOTHER’S WORLD APPRENTICESHIPS – TRANSFORMING ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGIST EDUCATION IN NEW ZEALAND JANE GOODYER AND GREG FRATER JUNE 2015 A report for the Tertiary Education Commission To be informed of future outputs from this research please contact: Jane Goodyer School of Engineering and Advanced Technology Massey University Private Bag 11-222 Palmerston North 4441 New Zealand [email protected] CONTENTS SUMMARY ........................................................................4 CHAPTER 5 English Models of Apprenticeships .....30 Trailblazers – A reform for change .............................30 CHAPTER 1 Drivers of engineering technologist education development in New Zealand ....................5 Outcomes focus – Setting standards and assessment approaches .................................32 National Engineering Education Plan – A Partial Success.............................................................5 Degree Apprenticeships ...............................................33 Growing the engineering pipeline .................................6 CASE STUDY Manufacturing Engineering Degree Structure of the report ...................................................7 Apprenticeship – Jaguar Land Rover CHAPTER 2 A Vision for educating engineering and Warwick University................................................34 technologists .................................................................. 8 Literature and web-based search analysis .........34 What is an engineering technologist? .........................8 Interview analysis – Director of Undergraduate Equipping graduates for the challenges Programmes, Warwick University ........................36 of the future.....................................................................10 Trailblazer Process – Effective learning methods Generating the Apprentice Standard ...................36 and challenges ahead ...................................................12 Employers’ Perspectives ........................................36 Experience-led learning is essential ..........................14 Warwick’s Perspective ...........................................37 Conclusion.......................................................................16 CASE STUDY Digital and Technology Solutions CHAPTER 3 Experience-led learning models – Professional Degree Apprenticeship .........................38 common themes .............................................................17 Literature and web-based search analysis .........38 Convergence – educators and employers step into one another’s world ......................................17 Interview analysis – Programme Director, Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) ......40 The Canadian Co-op Model ....................................18 Trailblazer Process – Dual Systems ............................................................18 Generating the Apprentice Standard ...................40 The Austrian Model – An apprenticeship model 18 Employers’ Perspectives ........................................41 Lessons from these Models ...................................19 MMU’s Perspective .................................................42 Clear pathways and progression ................................19 Conclusions.....................................................................43 Conclusion.......................................................................21 CHAPTER 6 Recommendations ...................................44 CHAPTER 4 Apprenticeships – A renaissance ........22 Acknowledgements .......................................................46 Apprenticeships in the spotlight – About the authors ..........................................................46 A response to drive economic growth .......................22 References ......................................................................47 Reviving the appetite for apprenticeships .................23 A new generation of apprenticeships ..................23 Apprenticeship and occupation ............................23 Incentives for employers to get involved ...................24 A ‘signature pedagogy’ for engineering education ............................................26 The learning process.....................................................27 Cognitive apprenticeship ........................................27 Formative assessment ............................................27 Visible learning .........................................................27 Social learning ..........................................................28 Conclusion.......................................................................29 STEPPING INTO ONE ANOTHER’S WORLD | APPRENTICESHIPS – TRANSFORMING ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGIST EDUCATION IN NEW ZEALAND 3 SUMMARY The authors have been contracted to advise the Tertiary Education Commission on the viability of apprenticeship models to educate degree level engineering technologists. We have conducted a literature review of learning models that have high levels of employer involvement, supplemented by interviews with tertiary providers involved in delivering new degree apprenticeships. We have found that there has been a resurgence of apprenticeships as a model for delivering higher education. The challenges of the future require engineering graduates to be more rounded individuals than those educated through traditional means. Apprenticeships deliver this more rounded engineer. Two key findings are the need for effective collaboration between employers and educationalists at the design and planning stage, and clear pathways to higher levels of education. Employers have to be in the driving seat, specifying degree standards that are outcome-based and occupation-driven. We have endorsed apprenticeships as a viable learning model for educating engineering technologists and have provided recommendations for establishing new degrees based on an apprenticeship learning model. STEPPING INTO ONE ANOTHER’S WORLD | APPRENTICESHIPS – TRANSFORMING ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGIST EDUCATION IN NEW ZEALAND 4 Chapter 1 Drivers of engineering technologist education development in New Zealand In 2010, an extensive consortium1 developed a national having a clearer structure around the differences plan, called the National Engineering Education Plan between professions of technician, technologist and (NEEP), aimed to provide New Zealand with a sufficient professional engineer; 3) how a student can choose the number of engineers at all levels of the profession2. It best pathway for their individual needs. was estimated that an extra 2750 graduates per year were needed to support an “innovation led economy” In response to the NEEP project the NZ government, and most growth would be needed to educate in the 2012 Budget, pledged an additional $42 million engineers at the level 6 and 7 of the New Zealand over four years to maintain the quality of engineering Qualifications Framework (NZQF), i.e. engineering education in the Tertiary sector and increase the technicians and technologists. There are many issues number of engineering graduates (at qualifications that need to be overcome to increase the number of levels 5 and above) with a target of an additional engineers; however on the plus side there are many 500 graduates per year from 2017 (TEC, 2013). In the on-going and complementary initiatives all working 2013 Budget, an additional $9.3 million over 4 years towards the same goal of increasing the number was allocated. Four years on from the initial NEEP of engineering technicians and technologists. This report and nearly 2 years of additional funding, the chapter outlines the key issues currently faced in NZ TEC commissioned a report (TEC, 2013) to review and the initiatives which address them, and explains the initiatives that tertiary education providers have how this study will contribute to the debate. implemented and identified several concerns and issues these providers face with the targeted increase of graduates desired by the government. National Engineering With regards to recruiting new students, there are Education Plan considerable barriers with the secondary/tertiary – A Partial Success interface. First, there are the school leavers who do not have the appropriate subject knowledge for entry to A key outcome from this national plan (IPENZ, 2010), engineering tertiary education. Secondly, there are the put forward to the Tertiary Education Organisations new recruits who have difficulty progressing beyond (TEOs) providing Level 6 and 7 qualifications, was to their first year of tertiary study. To add to the situation, provide substantial equivalence between the Bachelor there is a lack of public knowledge of engineering of Engineering Technology (BEngTech) degrees and what different TEOs offer. It is concerning that currently offered and a unified diploma system across several level 6 and 7 providers, i.e. typically Institutes disciplines; this potentially allows students more of Technology and Polytechnics (ITPs), are struggling flexibility in their study pathways and location. Another to attract NZ students to the BEngTech and diploma complementary outcome from this plan was to provide qualifications, especially as the NEEP project identified a “model” for the secondary/tertiary interface so that that the main growth