A report from the Higher Education and Training Awards Council (HETAC) highlighting the high performance of engineering graduates from Institutes of Technology has been welcomed by IT Sligo.
The Engineering Graduates: Preparation and Progress report was published by 13 institutes of technology and by the Higher Education and Training Awards Council (HETAC).
The study of honours degree engineering graduates from the institutes of technology found that 83% of respondents believe their education prepared them adequately for their first job and their career.
More than 4 out of 5 respondents to the employer survey found institute of technology graduates to be either well prepared or prepared in terms of their technical skills or engineering knowledge in their field. The respondents also found the graduates similarly prepared in terms of their practical engineering and problem solving skills.
Head of School of Engineering at IT Sligo, Frank Carter, said: “This report is an endorsement of the Level 8 Degrees in Engineering from the Institutes of Technology, by graduates and employers alike. It recognises the fact that the graduate with a Level 8 degree in Engineering can aspire to the highest levels in the profession, while meeting the needs of the workplace. The School of Engineering in IT Sligo welcomes the report, which reaffirms it in its commitment to the delivery of engineering programmes on a par with those from any other sector.”
Approximately 8 out of 10 employer respondents found that institute of technology NFQ Level 8 engineering graduates are progressing at a similar rate in their careers as other graduates.
The careers of the majority of institute of technology graduates are progressing well, with 65% of respondents agreeing that their engineering career and associated salary has progressed as they expected since graduating. Almost 8 out of 10 Level 8 graduate respondents believe that they have been given appropriate engineering responsibilities corresponding with their engineering qualifications.
Employer respondents are also happy with the progression of institute of technology graduates with more than 9 out of 10 employers noting that these graduates either meet or exceed their employers’ expectations. Respondents also reported that institute of technology and university graduates perform similarly in terms of meeting their employers’ expectations.
Employers reported that Level 8 engineering graduates of all institutions need to be better prepared in terms of their non-technical skills, such as communication, as only 64% of respondents found graduates of the Institutes to be prepared in these non-technical skills.
Peter Cullen, Head of Standards, Research and Policy Development at HETAC said: “The information and knowledge the institutes have gained from this innovative collaboration will help them individually and jointly to maintain strengths and identify opportunities for improvement. I would like to see other baseline studies undertaken by other disciplines in the future.”
For more information on engineering courses offered at IT Sligo see www.itsligo.ie/engineering
Image Caption: IT Sligo Mechatronic Students Colm Frizzel and Sean Henry Gillespie took home gold in the National Skills Final this year.