Title:
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Engineering in Indonesia : the transition from higher education into employment.
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The relationship between higher education and the world of
work is explored in this thesis in a case study of engineers in
Indonesia. The research attempts to gain a deeper understanding
of the perceived needs and expectations of employers with regards
to engineering graduates, and examines the relevance of
university education and training for initial occupations in the
first few years of work after graduation. The study investigates
these relationships through a variety of instruments, including
interviews of employers and graduates, a tracer study of 1,800
reCent engineering graduates, and in-depth studies of two of the
more successful engineering institutes in the country.
The thesis comprises six chapters. Following an introductory
chapter, the relevant literature, reviewed in chapter 2,
highlights some shortcomings in the understanding of the
·relevance of university education to the world of work. In
particular, studies investigating the views of various interested
parties, such as employers and professional bodies, appear not
to have given sufficient attention to recent graduates and the tasks they perform, the training they receive in the work place,
and their opinions of the strengths and weaknesses of their
education courses.
The country context for the study is discussed in chapter
3. Indonesia is a large and low-income but rapidly developing
Newly Industrializing Economy. Its economy has grown at the rate
of 6%-7% per annum over the last 20 years, and manufacturing
employment has grown at an annual rate of 10% in recent years,
bringing in their wake profound structural changes. A number of
issues in, higher education are discussed next, including the
rapid expansion of engineering education, the quality of new
entrants to the system and their achievement levels, the format
of the engineering curriculum and teacher capabilities, and their
consequences for the quantity and quality of educational
delivery.
Chapter 4 discusses the methodology used in the research.
The general framework for the research is the case study method
using a combination of qualitative and quantitative research
methods. A purposive sample of thirty employers were interviewed
in the rapidly expanding fabricated metals sub-sector of the
manufacturing industry. The interviews were complemented by
observations of the production processes involved. To assist
triangulation, the views of recent engineering graduates employed
in the same firms were canvassed. These graduates were also
included in a more comprehensive tracer study of some 1,800
recent engineering graduates from public and private universities and some public polytechnics. Finally, two case studies were
conducted in an attempt to understand the reasons for the high
premium graduates from the top two engineering institutions can
command in professional employment.
Chapter 5 discusses the findings of the surveys and
interviews and analyzes the results of the research. It is
divided into two parts. In part A, both employers and graduates
had little difficulty in pointing out the shortcomings of current
engineering education programmes. These are documented here. They
were also able to formulate constructive suggestions for their
improvement. Many of the suggestions were common to both groups.
Part B discusses the two special studies and attempts to assess
their transferability to other engineering departments.
The final chapter 6 highlights some of the more important
issues raised by the study. It provides a number of
recommendations for education policy makers and discusses the
constraints to implementing change in Indonesian higher education
institutions. One important suggestion is to encourage curriculum
developers and teachers to become aware and take note of the
valid and substantial contribution employers and graduates can
make to curriculum development. Finally, the thesis argues for
the more widespread use of needs identification in curriculum
development in higher education for the professions.
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