HEQF: An Electrical Engineering Provider Perspective

1. HEQF: An Electrical Engineering Provider Perspective Eric L Dixie IPET Workshop on HEQF and new Engineering Technology Education Qualifications 1 April 2008

2. Challenges of Engineering Education • Shortage of Skills • Shortage of Staff • Shortage of Funding • Student Challenges

3. Shortage of Skills Shortage of Staff Not enough well-qualified academics available for every institution to offer the same specialist qualifications. A student is not better than the teacher, but the student who has been fully trained will be like the teacher. Jesus Christ Luke 6:40 (NCV)

4. Shortage of Funding Student Challenges CHE Higher Education Monitor No 6 Shortage of Suitable Students 5% of 1.6 Million Grade 1’s achieved SC with university entrance Engineering Institutions compete for relatively few students

5. Student ChallengesCHE Higher Education Monitor No 6 Underprepared Students In 2003 SA last in Grade 8 Science and Mathematics out of 50 countries. Standard of Senior Certificate English Higher Grade 2nd Language has dropped.

6. Student ChallengesCHE Higher Education Monitor No 6 Poor Throughput Only 5% of ND Engineering students graduated in the minimum 3 years. Only 15% had graduated after 5 years. High Drop-Out Rate Another 12% still registered after 5 years. Minimum 73% dropped out.

7. Cooperative Education • Cooperation between DoE and DoL • Cooperation between Academic Institutions and Industry • Cooperation between Providers offering: • Different levels of engineering qualifications • Same qualifications, but different niche areas Real Cooperation between Equal Partners

8. Cooperation between DoE and DoL These departments are responsible for the Quality Assurance of the Qualifications • DoE for Stage 1 Academic Engineering Qualifications • DoL for Stage 2 Work-based Engineering Qualifications

9. Cooperation between Academic Institutions and Industry Using Advisory Boards these partners decide together on which competencies are better learned: • In an Academic environment • In the Work place They monitor what is being taught and deal with deficiencies

10. Cooperation between Provider Institutions • History of competition for students, staff and funding • Unhealthy competition resulted in today’s problems of parallel qualifications Let’s not make that mistake again!!

11. Cooperation between Providers offering Different Levels of Qualifications Few academic institutions have the resources to offer all engineering qualifications Decide on niche areas and offer qualifications accordingly Lower level qualifications will act as an academic filter for higher level qualifications

12. I regret saying that I have never seen such a useless outfit before. There is only 5 weeks left and in my professional opinion, 90% of this class WILL fail. No ambition, no personal commitment, no zest, no zeal, no inclination for research,..... I don't have time to spoon-feed this class. They are not close to being ready for third year, or second year for that matter.

13. Cooperation between Providers offering Different Levels of Qualifications FET Colleges will eventually offer Level 5 and Level 6 Certificates Universities have to offer degrees Some UoT’s will offer Certificates and Degrees Other UoT’s will offer Degrees and Post Graduate Qualifications

14. Cooperation between Providers offering Same Qualifications but different Niche Areas Institutions collaborate to decide which offers what specialisation. Institutions attract students, staff and funding based on niche area not geographical location. There are not sufficient resources in the country for similar specialist qualifications at different institutions.

15. Benefits of Cooperation between Providers Staff • Less competition for staff • Universities require staff to have post- graduate qualifications • FET Colleges do not need staff to have post graduate qualifications • Specialist staff will go to the institutions offering their specialisation

16. Benefits of Cooperation between Providers Funding • Less competition for funding • In everyone’s interest that institutions offering undergraduate qualifications receive sufficient funding. • Institutions offering post-graduate qualifications will have access to research funding in their niche areas

17. Benefits of Cooperation between Providers Underprepared Students • Need only enrol for a 120 credit Higher Certificate initially. • Will gain the foundation they need to continue with higher engineering qualifications or choose another career. • Much less resource intensive than foundation and bridging courses.

18. Benefits of Cooperation between Providers Student Throughput and Drop-Out • Students commit themselves to a sequence of manageable qualifications resulting in better throughput and less drop-out. • Emphasize success rather than failure. • Proven success in the lower level qualifications will give a strong foundation for the upper levels. • Sponsors will identify successful students and give them bursaries for further study.

19. Possible Credit Allocation for a 360 credit Degree

20. Possible Credit Allocation for Higher Certificate followed by Degree

21. Possible Credit Allocation for Higher Certificate followed by an Advanced Certificate followed by a Degree

22. Implications of Providers not Offering Full Range of Qualifications Articulation between institutions will have to be on the basis of completed qualifications. Qualifications are expressed in Outcomes which are universal. The Learning Programmes that an institution will use to enable students to achieve those outcomes will be unique.

23. Conclusion We need a network of educational providers and industry cooperating together to provide pathways for students to progress as far as they like in their particular field for their own benefit and for the benefit of the country.

24. Conclusion We need • Complementary not Competing Qualifications • Cooperation not Competition amongst institutions of Higher Learning • Collaborations between stake-holders, not Isolation from each other.

25. Conclusion We need Cooperative Education!!!!