2022-10-20 Marie Paretti

Note: This seminar takes place on Thursday 20 October, 9.00-10.30 in Studio C. Please register with Kristina Edström for Fika.

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

Abstract: Drawing on data from over a hundred U.S. graduates from four universities, we will 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. At the same time, they also highlighted the ways in which the open-ended capstone team projects they participated in during their final undergraduate year did and did not prepare them for these challenges. Together we will 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.