Management Education For
Engineers In The 21st Century:
A New Paradigm For Professional
Development Providers
Steven Goh
Academic Engineer Accountant Restaurateur
SEMIG
Sustainable Engineering
Management Interest Group
Innovation . Leadership . Sustainability
Mission Statement
To be at the forefront of Engineering
Management research in the area of
Innovation, Leadership and Sustainability,
hinged on collaborative projects with industry
and be an avenue for knowledge
dissemination and implementation.
SEMIG
Challenge in Engineering Education
Educators vs Facilitators of Learning
A Call for Reform
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Big Issues Roundtable
(Committee for Economic Development of Australia)
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Dr. Rob Simons (The Smith Family)
“With educational transformation there is need for greater integration
and porosity among walls, systems and sectors.”
“Business council of Australia expressed a concern about how
business can come to the table in enhancing and driving change
effectively in the education sector both in terms of design and
strategy, programs that are effective in the marshalling of evidence
that will bring about improved practice.”
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KPMG’s 2008 Global Construction Survey
“On a global level, there has historically been little or no collaboration
between stakeholders such as companies, universities and
governments”
Solutions?
 Collaborate
The Professional Development Environment
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Environmental Scan in 2007
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Customised MBAs favoured
Corporatisation of education
Proliferation of short courses and workshops
Some examples
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EEA & education partners
In-house Operations
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GHD Business School
Qantas Engineering
Mining Education Australia (UQ, CU, UNSW, UA)
New department of postgraduate teaching & research in Engineering
Leadership (UoS Warren Centre for Advanced Engineering)
Regional & SME accessibility & portability difficult
Articulation of short Courses difficult
 Pathways are increasingly congested and polarised
Solutions?
 Collaborate
 Consolidate
The Professional Development Environment
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Engineers Australia
Chartered Status & Competencies
 Accredited short courses
 Professional Development Program
 Leadership Development Program
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What is needed for the 21st
Century Engineering Manager?
A Call for Reform
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Patricia Galloway (CEO of Nielsen-Wurster Group)
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Author of a Book* “21st Century Engineer: A Proposal for
Engineering Education Reform”
Proposes a new Mater’s degree in Professional Engineering
Management
Believes soft “fundamental capacities” are still not being taught at
either undergraduate or postgraduate levels
21st century environment that pose challenges for which engineers
may be unprepared for
Summarised her case with quote “an engineering educational
system that has not kept pace with the demands of the
marketplace”
*Galloway, P (2008) 21st Century Engineer: A Proposal for Engineering Education
Reform, American Society of Civil Engineers Press.
21st Century Engineering Manager
2020 Vision Report* has indicated that changes in the operating environment
and workplace will see the Engineering Manager of the 21st Century to be:
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Global & Mobile
 Culturally Aware
 Strong Technical Acumen
 Strong interpersonal skills & High EQ
 A Leader of teams (team-oriented leadership)
 Encountering complex issues and mega projects
 Increased number of diverse stakeholders
 Difficult to find Work/Life balance
 Essential to develop life-long learning habits
* Nicholson J & Nairn, A (2006) 2020 Vision: The Manager of the 21st Century, A report by Boston Consulting
Group for Innovation & Business Skills Australia, Commonwealth of Australia.
21st Century Skills Set?
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Globalisation
Communication
Ethics
Professionalism
Diversity
Leadership
Sustainability
Risks & Security
Solutions?
 Collaborate
 Consolidate
 Revitalise
HR / L&D Managers’ Viewpoint
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Learning is much more than just creating courses – it’s managing
the people
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Corporate education programs are enabling companies to link the
development of their employees to business goals & performance
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Recognition that formal training accounts for only a fraction of
organisational learning
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Disseminating knowledge in a formal classroom is incredibly
expensive and inefficient (especially for SME?)
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Training courses are not the core requirement of leadership
development but need to be integrated into wider process of
feedback and structured experience
HR / L&D Managers’ Viewpoint
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70-20-10 Approach of Leadership Development*
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70% on the job; 20% feedback and learning from others through mentoring and
coaching; 10% learning programs
EA’s Professional Development Program
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Progression to Chartered Status
Opportunity for Mentoring
Career Episode Reports
80% of learning in the workplace happens informally**
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Recognition and articulation of informal Learning?
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Management vs Leadership debate
Team Oriented Leadership vs Individualised Leadership
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Who is supporting and mentoring the mentors – Engineering Manager’s
Support Network?
*Lominger, M & Eichinger, R (2002) The Leadership Machine: Architecture to Develop Leaders for Any Future,
Lominger Ltd.
**Quotation of Jay Cross, US learning theorist & author
Solutions?
 Collaborate
 Consolidate
 Revitalise
 Recognise
 Articulate
Summary
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A call for reform and collaboration
 Dynamic but fragmented education market place
 Proliferation of short courses and workshops
 21st Century manager attributes & skills set
 Drive to customisation of learning
 Alignment to organisational goals & performance
 Recognition of informal learning and mentoring
 Articulations & pathways
 Accessibility & portability
 Collaborate, consolidate, revitalise, recognise, articulate
A Notice in Starbucks
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Peer Support Network?
 Wiki resource?
 Virtual mentors?
 Workplace is the
classroom?
 No lectures or
Assignments?
Educators becoming
Facilitators of Learning!