Moving from School to Work: Understanding the Challenges of New Graduates and the Opportunities for Educators

Thursday 20 October, 9.00-10.30 in Studio C. 

Drawing on data from over a hundred U.S. graduates from four universities, we explore the challenges these graduates faced as they move from school into engineering work. Based on periodic interviews with new engineers during their first year of work, our research team identified a range of challenges related to teamwork, communication, self-directed learning, and identity development. We consider what the findings mean in an international context to identify potential influences of varying educational structures, and explore the implications for us as educators and researchers.

This seminar focuses in particular on the challenges that new engineers experience in communication activities. While engineering students practice communication within their education, the complexity and situated nature of communication in the workplace cannot be fully replicated in the classroom. 

Ford, J. D., Paretti, M., Kotys-Schwartz, D., Howe, S., & Ott, R. (2021). New engineers’ transfer of communication activities from school to work. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication, 64(2), 105-120.

Part II for PhD students: 10.30-12.00

The seminar continues mainly for PhD students.

Now we bring a second paper into the discussions. It is from the same project, and chosen for its interesting methodology and because it speaks to our work with sustainability:

Gewirtz, C., & Paretti, M. C. (2021). Becoming after college: agency and structure in transitions to engineering work. Engineering Studies, 13(2), 111-131.

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Presentation slides (both seminars)

Further reading:

Gewirtz, C. (2021). Twelve Tales of Engineering in the “Real World:” Narratives of Newcomers’ Agency in Transitions to Engineering Work. [Doctoral Dissertation, Virginia Tech]. Blacksburg, VA.

Paretti, M. C., Kotys-Schwartz, D., Ford, J., Howe, S., & Ott, R. (2020). Leveraging the capstone design experience to build self-directed learning. International Journal of Engineering Education, 36(2), 664-674.

Gewirtz, C., Kotys-Schwartz, D. A., Knight, D., Paretti, M. C., Arunkumar, S., Ford, J. D., ... & Hernandez, C. (2018). New engineers’ first three months: A study of the transition from capstone design courses to workplac. Engineering: Faculty Publications, Smith College, Northampton, MA. 

Lutz, B. & Paretti, M. C. (2021) Exploring the Social and Cultural Dimensions of Learning for Recent Engineering Graduates during the School-to-Work Transition. Engineering Studies, 13:2, 132-157