This exploratory study set out to evaluate how well a particular course in automotive engineering is set up to enable students to develop skills necessary to enter the workplace. The research set out to identify trends in student expectations and in the needs of employers at a time when this field of work is characterised by disruptive technological developments such as computerisation and automation. The paper also samples current speculative thinking about skills that are becoming progressively more important in the workplace, namely the so-called ‘soft skills’ in communication, problem-solving, management, and collaboration, and in dialogic and creative attributes relevant to increasingly automated and globalised workplaces.
Nick Marsden and Niranjan Singh (2017). Preparing Vocational Students for Future Workplaces: Towards a course evaluation of the Unitec Bachelor of Applied Engineering. Unitec ePress Occasional and Discussion Paper Series (2017:4).
https://doi.org/10.34074/ocds.42017
About this series:
Unitec ePress periodically publishes occasional and discussion papers that discuss current and ongoing research authored by members of staff and their research associates. All papers are blind reviewed. For more papers in this series please visit: https://www.unitec.ac.nz/epress/index.php/category/publications/epress-series/discussions-and-occasional-papers/