Employers rank commercial awareness and communication skills as vital and second only to information technology skills for graduates.
The report is based on a national survey of engineering graduate employers and in depth interviews with industry members of the AGR. It reveals that over 30% of engineering employers are critical, or at best neutral when asked how well engineering degrees prepare students for employment.
“Much has been reported about the shortage of engineering graduates for industry but employers have concerns about the quality of some applicants and their lack of broader abilities like commercial awareness and core engineering skills,” commented the report’s author, David Sanderson.
The report, which includes analysis of all available labour market performance data, provides those developing engineering courses and the employability of engineering graduates with a comprehensive analysis of employers’ views and market data.
“The findings highlight what employers are looking for in the best partnerships with universities. Access to academics figures highly but employers don’t want a superficial relationship with universities,” concluded the report.
