Essential Skills of Namibian Engineers Title Slide Essential Skills of Namibian Engineers 24th SAAIR Conference Presentation on the 24th October 2017 Mr Evert J. Strydom estrydom@nust.na Dr Samuel John sjohn@nust.na

Namibian Engineers Research Questions Why Study “Skills”? What are “Skills”? Which “Skills”? Skills Groupings? START Methodology Results Discussion Conclusion END Namibian Engineers Research Questions RQ #1 RQ #2 RQ #3

Why Study Skills Why Study “Skills”? “…widening separation of faculty and curriculum from industry needs and expectations…” Lang et al. (1999) “…employers have maintained that their greatest needs are basic employability skills…” Person (2003) “…64 percent of employers hiring fresh engineering graduates are dissatisfied…” Blom & Saeki (2011) “…the number of employable engineering, technology and science graduates continues to be very low…” Choudary (2014)

“The ability to do something well” What are Skills What are “Skills”? “The ability to do something well” Expertise, competency, capability, talent… The Oxford Dictionary

What are Skills The Business Dictionary What are “Skills”? “An ability and capacity acquired through deliberate, systematic, and sustained effort to smoothly and adaptively carry out complex activities or job functions involving ideas (cognitive/personal skills), things (technical skills), and/or people (interpersonal skills).” The Business Dictionary

What are Skills Groupings? What are Skill Groups What are Skills Groupings? Professional Skills (Soft Skills) Technical Skills (Hard Skills) Personal Ability Intellectual Ability Personal Skill Interpersonal Ability People Skills Communication Skills

Which Skills? Which “Skills”? Accountability, Analytical Thinking, Application of Technical Knowledge, Attention to Detail, Autonomy, Basic Computer Skills, Basic Financial Skills, Business Skills, Conceptual Thinking, Continuous Improvement, Critical Thinking, Customer Orientated, Decision Management, Engineering Design, Entrepreneurship, Flexibility, Information Management, Information Technology Innovative, Integrity, Leadership Skills, Life Long Learning, Logical Thinking, Mathematical Skill, Organisational Skill, Positive Attitude, Practical Skills, Problem Solving, Production Management, Professionalism, Project Management, Punctual, Quality Awareness, Resourceful, Responsible, Self Confidence, Self Discipline, Self Motivated Service Orientated, Statistics and Probability, Systems Analysis, Systems Management, Systems Thinking Task Management, Teaching, Teamplayer, Technical Communication, Technical Competence, Technical Expertise, Technical Knowledge, Technical Report Writing, Technology Application, Technology Management, Verbal English Communication, Written English Communication

Research Question #1: Which skills are considered by Namibian employers to be essential when hiring graduate engineers?

Are Soft or Hard Skills preferred by Namibian employers? Research Question #2: Are Soft or Hard Skills preferred by Namibian employers?

Which skills are critical (universally essential) Research Question #3: Which skills are critical (universally essential) across all categories of engineering?

How? Registered Engineers : 1343 (ECN, 2016) Estimated Unregistered : ± 28% (EPA, 2014) Estimated Total Engineers : ± 1576 Surveys Distributed : 341 (21.6 %) Surveys Received : 134 (39% Response Rate) Surveys Disqualified : 7 Surveys Analysed : 127 (90% ±5%)

How? Industry, Discipline, Age, Degree List of 55 Skills

Industry Results Profile

Degree Results Profile

Discipline Profile and Results

Experience Profile and Results

Research Question #1: Which skills are considered by Namibian employers to be essential when hiring graduate engineers?

Q1 - Which Skills Are Essential Rank Skill Score N = 127 (90% ±5%) SD 1 Problem Solving 95.0% 11.9% 2 Professionalism 90.6% 16.1% 3 Technical Knowledge 90.3% 15.7% 4 Basic Computer Skills 88.5% 18.4% 5 Analytical Thinking 86.4% 17.9% 6 Integrity 86.1% 7 Engineering Design 85.8% 21.9% 8 Project Management 18.5% 9 Quality Awareness 17.5% 10 Attention to Detail 85.6% 18.0%

Q1 - Which Skills Are Essential Rank Skill Score N = 127 (90% ±5%) SD 46 Technology Management 68.5% 23.4% 47 Service Orientated 67.5% 25.3% 48 Information Management 66.4% 23.5% 49 Systems Management 62.7% 27.9% 50 Customer Orientated 58.5% 26.0% 51 Production Management 29.5% 52 Business Skills 52.5% 24.9% 53 Teaching 54 Statistics and Probability 51.7% 55 Entrepreneurship 45.9% 28.3%

Q1 - Which Skills Are Essential Strydom India Problem Solving 1 95.0% 73.3% 18 Technical Knowledge 2 90.3% 75.5% 14 Basic Computer Skills 3 88.5% 73.8% 17 Integrity 4 86.1% 87.0% Reliability 5 85.0% 85.5% Responsibility 6 77.8% 9 Self-motivated 7 84.5% 80.5% Apply Know. of Math/Sci/Eng 8 83.7% 76.8% 12 Written Communication 82.7% 11 Self-discipline 10 81.6% 81.5% Teamwork 81.1% 85.3% Willingness to Learn 77.4% Entrepreneurship 20 45.9% 83.8%

Comparison of Studies on Skills ECN/ECSA Hard Soft Lang, et al. (1999) Lattuca, et al. (2006) Blom & Saeki (2011) Passow (2012) This Study Problem Solving 80 86 89.8 95.0 Professionalism & Ethics 88 73 93 82.4 88.4 Engineering Design 68 66 75 78.0 83.6 App. of Math, Sc. and Eng. Know. 94 78 85 81.6 82.9 Communication 91 84 89.0 82.0 Engineering Management (ECSA Only) 74 25 71 74.2 81.4 Individual & Team Ability 79 91.8 81.1 Engineering Tools 77 83 77.4 79.2 Independent & Life-Long Learning 82 60 82.6 Sustainability 70 - 67.8 60.1 Experiments and Data Analysis 59 80.2 51.7

Q1 - Which Skills Are Essential Rank Skill Consulting n=51, 40 % Construction n=21, 16.2 % 1 Problem Solving 2 Professionalism 6 3 Technical Knowledge 7 4 Basic Computer Skills 10 5 Analytical Thinking 12 14 Integrity Engineering Design 8 Project Management 9 Quality Awareness Attention to Detail 11 Accountability Responsible Other 43.8 %

Mechanical Civil Electric Rank Skill Mechanical n=36, 28.3 % Civil n=32, 24.4 % Electric n=30, 23.6 % 1 Problem Solving 2 Professionalism 3 Technical Knowledge 4 6 Basic Computer Skills 8 17 5 Analytical Thinking 16 18 Integrity 22 7 Engineering Design 10 Project Management 27 9 Quality Awareness 23 12 Responsible 24 13 Technical Report Writing 19 14 Critical Thinking 21 Application of Other 23.7 %

Q1 - Which Skills Are Essential Rank Skill 0 – 3 n=3729% 4 – 10 n=50 39% 11 – 20 n=37 29% 20 + n=14 11% 1 Problem Solving 6 2 Professionalism 3 5 11 Technical Knowledge 4 Basic Computer Skills 18 7 Analytical Thinking 13 Integrity 32 Engineering Design 8 29 Project Management 9 14 Quality Awareness 19 10 Attention to Detail

Are Soft or Hard Skills preferred by Namibian employers? Research Question #2: Are Soft or Hard Skills preferred by Namibian employers?

Q2 – Soft or Hard Skills Rank Category Score SD 1 Technical Skills   1 Technical Skills 78.0% 21.5% 2 Personal Ability (Personal Skill + Intellectual Ability) 77.2% 20.6% 3 Interpersonal Ability (Communication + Interpersonal Skills) 75.9% Hard Skill (Technical Skills) Soft Skills (Personal + Interpersonal Ability) 76.7% 20.9% Personal Skills consists of Integrity, Quality Awareness, Attention to Detail, Accountability, Responsible, Autonomy, Self-Motivated, Continuous Improvement, Positive Attitude, Self-Discipline, Punctual, Self Confidence, Resourceful, Life Long Learning, Flexibility, Innovative and Task Management. Communication Skills consists of Basic Computer Skills, Technical Report Writing, Written English Communication, Verbal English Communication, Technical Communication, Information Technology and Information Management. Technical Skills consists of Technical Knowledge, Engineering Design, Application of Technical Knowledge, Mathematical Skill, Technical Competence, Technology Application, Practical Skills, Technical Expertise, Technology Management and Production Management. Interpersonal Skills consists of Professionalism, Project Management, Teamplayer, Organisational Skill, Leadership Skills, Service Orientated, Customer Orientated and Teaching. Intellectual Ability consists of Problem Solving, Analytical Thinking, Critical Thinking, Logical Thinking, Conceptual Thinking, Decision Management, Systems Analysis, Systems Thinking, Basic Financial Skills, Systems Management, Business Acumen, Statistics and Probability and Entrepreneurship.

Q2 – Soft or Hard Skills ECN Hard Soft Lang, et al. (1999) Lattuca, (2006) Blom & Saeki (2011) Passow (2012) This Study Soft Skill Average 77.3 66.3 87 81.3 78.4 Hard Skill Average 80.4 73.2 80.8 81.4 78.5 % Difference 3.8 9.4 7.2 0.1

Which skills are critical (universally essential) Research Question #3: Which skills are critical (universally essential) across all categories of engineering?

Q3 – Critical Skills Industry Discipline Degree Experience Consulting Construction Op & Se Mining & Energy Mechanical Civil Electric Other BEng BTech BSc Post Grad 0 – 3 4 – 10 11 – 20 20 +

Skill Overall Rank Industry Discipline Degree Experience CU CS M CI E BE BT BS PG 4 11 20 Problem Solving 1 2 7 Professionalism 6 3 5 Technical Knowledge 9 Basic Computer Skills 10 8 17 12 18 Analytical Thinking 14 19 Integrity 23 16 32 Engineering Design 29 Project Management 27 21 13 Quality Awareness 25 24 Attention to Detail 15 Accountability 38 Responsible 26 22 Technical Report Writing Critical Thinking Autonomy Self-Motivated Application of Technical Knowledge Logical Thinking Mathematical Skill 33 31 Written English Communication 28 34 Continuous Improvement 30 Positive Attitude 35 Self-Discipline Teamplayer Punctual 41 Verbal English Communication 45

Q3 – Critical Skills Critical Rank Overall Skill Category Score 1= 1 Problem Solving P 100 % 3 Technical Knowledge T 2 Professionalism I 92.3 % 4= 4 Basic Computer Skills 76.9 % 7 Engineering Design 6 Integrity 69.2 % 9 Quality Awareness 8 Project Management 61.5 % 9= 10 Attention to Detail 46.2 % 12 Responsible

Conclusion Research Questions Application of Results Further Study This study looked at identifying the essential skills of graduate engineers in the Namibian industry. Research Question #1 is answered by analysis of the results which show that the most essential skill in-demand from engineers is Problem Solving. is answered by analysis of the data categorised according to industry. Research Question #2 is answered by analysis of the results which show that Soft Skills could be considered of equal importance to Hard Skills. Research Question #3 is answered by analysis of all the Core Skills, that are shown in Table 31, which skills are absolutely essential to all categories. This study finds the Critical Skills to be Problem Solving and Technical Knowledge. Application: World Class Universities. Further Studies towards questions raised. Collaboration across SADC?

Thank You! estrydom@nust.na