Higher Education Academy Engineering Subject Centre

Welcome to the Engineering Subject Centre's e-bulletin for HEinFE - May 2010

I hope that some of the following will be of interest to all those teaching Higher nationals and Foundation degrees in engineering

Engineering Subject Centre workshop: Developing teaching and assessment schemes for Foundation degrees (22 June, Loughborough College)

This workshop has been developed to support colleagues in FE colleges who are involved in developing or have recently started to teach on a foundation degree. It aims to provide an opportunity to discuss the process of developing appropriate teaching schemes and assessments from the details given in module reference sheets or module descriptors.

For more information visit http://www.engsc.ac.uk/events/developing-teaching-and-assessment-schemes-for-foundation-degrees

Engineering Subject Centre workshop: Working with international students (28 June, Nottingham University)

The workshop is aimed at academic engineering staff who work with international students on a day-to-day basis - whether in the classroom, the laboratory or in support of the students’ studies. The event is offered as a practical, activity-based workshop where delegates will have the opportunity to experience several scenarios we might find in our working with international students. The scenarios will be illustrated from case examples, with the opportunity to learn from the practices of those who are experienced in their working with international students, and to learn about resources and support available through appropriate staff development. The workshop will include a resume of the Engineering Subject Centre’s work on the TIS Project, and will conclude with a discussion of how you might wish to engage with the Centre and the Project. 

For more information visit http://www.engsc.ac.uk/events/working-with-international-students

Engineering Education 2010: Inspiring the next generation of engineers (6-8 July, Aston University)

This international conference will provide a platform to consider how universities can inspire the next generation of engineers.  It will address how to inspire young people to study engineering, how to engage and retain students in their studies and continue to professionally develop the engineers of the future.

For more information visit www.ee2010.info/

OER project releases civil engineering and construction images

The Engineering Subject Centre Open educational resources project has just released 170 civil engineering and construction photographs for use freely in non-commercial projects. The images can be searched from our website and are viewable and downloadable from the popular free Flickr website. Visit the project's web page for more information www.engsc.ac.uk/oer

Technician Council

Steve Holliday, chief executive of the National Grid, has been appointed chairman of the government's new Technician Council.

Initially, the Technician Council will aim to expand and develop technician registration schemes by:

• helping facilitate the initial drafting of registration standards
• ensuring that appropriate support, professional development and information is made available alongside registration for individual technicians
• promoting the professional status of and recognition for technicians, including marketing and policy influence roles.

EngineeringUK

In November 2009 the Engineering Council UK dropped the ‘UK’ to become the Engineering Council. At the same time the Engineering and Technology Board (ETB) changed its name to EngineeringUK, aiming to work with partners across business and industry, education and skills, the professional engineering institutions, the Engineering Council and the wider science and engineering communities. Its goals are to improve the perception of engineers, engineering and technology, to improve the supply of engineers and place communication at the heart of everything they do.

Look out particularly for the Tomorrow’s Engineers programmes:
http://www.tomorrowsengineers.org.uk/ and The Big Bang, UK Young Scientists and Engineers Fair
http://www.thebigbangfair.co.uk/home.cfm on 10-12 March 2011 at ExCel London.

NEF Masterclasses

The New Engineering Foundation has asked us to bring the following Masterclasses to your attention:

For full details and to register for any of the Masterclasses visit:
http://www.neweng.org.uk/masterclass.asp

Where are all the women?

Speaking at the Decisions at 18 careers conference at Royal Holloway University of London recently, Paul Jackson, Chief Executive of EngineeringUK, highlighted the disparity in the percentage of female engineering professionals in the UK compared to other European countries. Addressing the conference of teachers and careers advisors on the subject of STEM opportunities and barriers to entry, Mr Jackson announced that EngineeringUK had carried out a recent review of the data relating to women in engineering and technology and identified UKRC research that showed that only nine per cent of UK engineering professionals are women compared to 18 per cent in Spain, 26 per cent in Sweden and 20 per cent in Italy.

Where are all the apprentices?

A new paper from EngineeringUK reveals that there has been an 88 per cent increase in the number of adult engineering apprentices (aged 25+) between 2009 and 2010, compared to an eight per cent decrease in young engineering apprentices (aged 16-18) and a nine per cent decrease in engineering apprentices overall across all ages.

The unprecedented rise in apprentices over 25 is thought to be linked to a new funding stream introduced in 2007 for adult apprenticeships which, along with a number of other potential factors, has initiated an increased demand for retraining opportunities following the economic downturn.
Significantly, the nine per cent fall in engineering apprenticeships comes against the backdrop of a seven per cent rise in apprenticeships across all subjects, something the National Apprenticeship Service sees as evidence that employers are recognising the need to up-skill existing staff.

Watch out, big bad wolf!

The ModCell BaleHaus low carbon building, built as a construction project at Bath University, has just passed fire resistance tests. Despite being built of pre-fabricated straw bales and hemp panels, the structure is as fire resistant as conventional structures.

The house was exposed to temperatures of over 1000°C for over two hours, four times longer than the legal requirement, and still held firm.

Keep up to date with the latest news and events listings at www.engsc.ac.uk

Malcolm Carr-West
Academic Advisor
Engineering Subject Centre
Tel: 0208 596 5445
email: malcolm@engsc.ac.uk
Web: http://www.engsc.ac.uk
Twitter: http://twitter.com/hea_engsc