It is generally believed that there should be a close alignment between a country’s national and economic goals and the curriculum delivered in its educational institutions. Historically in the UK, engineering and manufacturing has provided the largest contribution to the economy. It could be argued that at that time, the skills required to work in the industry were relatively rudimental and this was reflected in the how engineers were trained, which initially adopted an apprenticeship style of teaching and later, with the increase in university recruitment, was predominantly teacher-focused and technical-content driven. Advancements in technology, medicine and other fields have brought about the need for a new, flexible type of engineer with skills that go beyond those previously defined. During the time of these advancements, the UK has seen its engineering sector decline economically, which has led to the re-addressing of the engineering curriculum. However, with the UK aiming to significantly increase the contribution of the engineering sector towards the economy, it begs the question - how well does the engineering curriculum now match up with the UK’s economic and national goals? This literature review-based study will explore the extent of the alignment of the UK’s economic goals with the engineering curriculum in UK universities. It will begin by looking at the historic alignment and subsequent changes to society before discussing the current state of the engineering curriculum. Finally it will assess the economic aims of the UK and provide a thorough discussion on how the alignment could be improved.

Authors:
Mauryn Nweke, University College London, United Kingdom

About the Presenter(s)
Dr Mauryn Nweke is a University Assistant Professor/Lecturer at University College London in United Kingdom

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