The Development of Competencies for Engineers within a Global Context

Engineering organisations are increasingly under pressure to perform more efficiently with less people. To manage this structure, organisations need to understand what skills, knowledge and behaviours it needs from engineers who have to increasingly practice within a global information society. Engineering educators today and tomorrow now need to think of how to place competencies for engineers in the context of operating within a global information society. A model for preparing the educators to face this challenge is proposed within the paper. This takes into account the change in mindset required to address the development of competencies for engineers where often the approach has to be context driven to address working globally. The model is based on developing a methodology by which a set of learning outcomes supported by aims and objectives may best be achieved. These learning outcomes are informed by the consideration of international frameworks and agreements which specify engineering professional competencies together with the corresponding graduate attributes. The core concept of the model is discussed and related to specific outcomes for educators to facilitate and students to achieve. While consideration is given to what competencies are needed for tomorrow's engineering education, it is concluded that more relevant is the need to reconsider existing competencies within the context of engineers being in global practice. This will require that educators need to be more responsive and be prepared to support the