Industry and Innovation module (EG32002)

Technology used in manufacturing and engineering is changing rapidly and having a considerable impact on graduate jobs and the skills that these require.

The Institute of Mechanical Engineering (IMechE 2020) notes that engineers need various soft skills in addition to their highly technical knowledge in order to stay competitive and progress in their careers.

Industry and Innovation will give you a good insight into the role of a Professional Engineer, the importance of developing not just your technical skills but also your transferable ones.

Developing the practical skills for making applications, interviews and navigating the recruitment process at internship and graduate levels is another key focus of the module's career management theme.

As employers prefer graduates who have entrepreneurial skills, the module will also help you become engineers with an awareness, mindset, and capability to generate original ideas in response to identified needs and opportunities, and the ability to make them happen.

By being entrepreneurially minded, you could become intrapreneurs to take leadership roles in companies or entrepreneurs to start your own business.

What you will learn

By the end of this module, you will:

• have identified what Mechanical Engineering graduates do after their studies, including further study
• learn about the role of a Professional Engineer and the skills which are valued by the engineering profession and other graduate career pathways
• develop a greater awareness of your strengths and skills
• learn how to research employers, internship, graduate opportunities and career sectors
• become familiar and confident with the internship / graduate recruitment process including building practical skills in CV and application writing and interview techniques
• become aware of enterprise skill sets and gauge your own potential as an entrepreneur
• learn how to think conceptually and analytically about entrepreneurial firms and about entrepreneurship more broadly
• learn how to generate, evaluate, and act upon your own ideas
• learn how to demonstrate related skills such as innovative thinking, research skills, group work and presentation skills
• gain an understanding of sustainability, ethics, and social corporate responsibility

Assignments / assessment

There are four written/practical assignments for this course, designed to enhance your practical skills in both themes:

Job Study Report 1,000 words (20%) - investigate an employer of your choice, enhancing your career research skills and your ability to reflect on your strengths.

Application Assignment 650 words plus application form completion (30%) - make an application to an internship or graduate opportunity of your choice, gain high-quality feedback and a head start in the recruitment process.

Business Model Canvas 4,000 (35%) - involves working together in a group of 4/5 to develop an understanding of the components of business that go together in the generation of a new business proposal.

Individual Presentation (15%) - individually present the new business idea developed by the group.

Teaching methods / timetable

You will attend timetabled sessions and the module is delivered through a mix of:

• Lectures and presentations
• Group, peer discussions & activities, including the use of digital platforms such as Padlet and Mentimeter
• Guest speakers from various industries and professions
• Individual reflection
• Individual research
• Self-directed study