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Session 2548

Learning the Culture of the Workplace in an Engineering Technology Program

Albert Lozano-Nieto Penn State University Wilkes-Barre Campus P.O. Box PSU. Lehman, PA 18627 Phone: (570) 675-9245. FAX: (570) 675-7713 email: AXL17@psu.edu

ABSTRACT

Engineering Technology programs are designed to provide students with the technical skills and critical thinking abilities to become successful professionals. In today’s evolving market, the success of our graduates will depend on their ability to solve not only the current problems of their field, but to anticipate their future needs. Employers demand professionals with broad knowledge, not limited to technical issues. If a few years ago the basic mission of the graduates from Engineering Technology programs was the repairing and maintenance of equipment, today their role has evolved into being involved in technology management. These requirements from industry reflect in academia, as the survival of Engineering Technology programs is closely related to producing graduates that can satisfy what is required from industry.

This paper presents approaches to bring industry closer to the students. The main goal of these activities is to teach the students the culture of the workplace. We want to address issues such as the importance of professionalism, the importance of writing, the need for communication with other professionals, etc., beyond the merely technical contents that are the basis for their future careers. This knowledge makes them to become more successful in their professional careers.

INTRODUCTION

A common goal of Engineering Technology programs is to produce highly qualified and skilled graduates to serve industry and the society. These programs need to provide students with the vast range of expertise that will be required in their professional careers. Industry demands for graduates in Engineering Technology are twofold. First, they require their future employees to have a good technical knowledge to carry the specialized job that they are responsible for. As graduates from recognized institutions have received extensive training in technical aspects, this first requirement is normally successfully completed by their formal education. In second place, industry demands an increasingly strong sense of professionalism and knowledge that goes beyond the merely technical skills from the graduates that they employ. They demand, in addition to the technical skills, work experience, team work and especially outstanding communication skills as they prove to be critical in the work environment (Xu et al., 1997). As

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Lozano-Nieto, A. (1999, June), Learning The Culture Of The Workplace In An Engineering Technology Program Paper presented at 1999 Annual Conference, Charlotte, North Carolina. 10.18260/1-2--7814