Articles
1.Do you feel your time at university prepared you adequately for your career?
YES: 70%
NO: 28%
DON’T KNOW: 2%
A straightforward response, although some respondents were resolute that they would not expect university to prepare them for a career. Of those who said No, it was mainly because their careers had taken surprising turns.
2. Do you think that all engineering degree courses should have a vocational element included in the course content?
YES: 86%
NO: 11%
DON’T KNOW: 3%
An overwhelming majority of people think that this is a good idea. Most view it as a head start into the world of work and a way to help ensure that engineering graduates go on to work in engineering.
3.Do you think the education system over-emphasises the importance of attending university over more vocational courses?
YES: 81%
NO: 15%
DON’T KNOW: 4%
PE readers are unequivocal about the need for workers with better technical skills. The feeling is that many attend university when a shorter, non-academic route would suffice.
4.Do you think private companies should be allowed to open their own universities and award degrees?
YES: 19%
NO: 72%
DON’T KNOW: 9%
Government proposals make this a possibility and overwhelmingly engineers believe it’s a bad idea. Most people have concerns about the possible narrowness of the course content and qualifications that may result. Some are more worried by the administration and verification of standards that would have to take place.
5.Would you describe the quality of engineering graduates from UK universities as among the best in the world?
YES: 52%
NO: 19%
DON’T KNOW: 29%
You could hope for a more positive response to this question than just over half. Many people said they lacked a suitable comparator. There was confidence in the high standards and good reputations of the UK’s leading institutions. Also, it’s worth remembering that graduating from a UK university doesn’t necessarily mean you are a product of the UK’s education system for under-18s.
6. Do you think the higher cost of attending university today puts off prospective engineering students?
YES: 74%
NO: 16%
DON’T KNOW: 10%
The cost of studying continues to rise, and the latest government proposals could give academic institutions the freedom to raise tuition fees further. Most PE readers feel the younger generation should be given as much of a helping hand as possible to start them off in life, and not given massive amounts of debt.
7. Do you think the processes and organisations that allocate the £6 billion a year the government spends on research and innovation are transparent enough?
YES: 8%
NO: 60%
DON’T KNOW: 32%
The government’s white paper proposes consolidating the seven research councils with Innovate UK and the Higher Education Funding Council to form one body. As long as this move ensures transparency in decision-making, most people should be comfortable with it.
8. Do you think that creating research-only and teaching-only universities would improve the quality of UK research?
YES: 19%
NO: 66%
DON’T KNOW: 15%
A clear two thirds of PE readers here see the positives of the current set-up. Although the best researchers don’t automatically make the best teachers, there is great value perceived in university engineering departments being at the forefront of R&D.
Would you like to participate in the PE reader survey?
If so send us an email to pe@caspianmedia.com with the words Panel Member in the subject box and we will add you to future correspondence.