TRAINING OF ENGINEERS

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27591, 23 February 1955, Page 6

TRAINING OF ENGINEERS

DEBATE ON PROPOSED ADJUSTMENTS

REPORT TO CONFERENCE Proposed changes in engineering education in New Zealand were debated at length at the conference of the New Zealand . Institution of Engineers at Canterbury University College on Monday. A report on engineering education and training outlining the plan to emphasise university courses for professional instruction and technical school training for the “middle group,” was introduced by Mr W. L. Newnham. Although no suitable name has been adopted, the “group” includes those skilled technicians who are needed to assist engineers and require a standard of training higher than that of the artisan. Mr Newnham Said two to three were needed for every professional engineer. “The institution’s general plan envisaged professional instruction founded more and more on the university degree course in engineering, with a consequent reduction in the activities of other organisations which have hitherto played a part in professional instruction. The technical schools have been one of these, and the intention is that the facilities built up in the schools for this purpose will in future be applied to the instruction of the ‘middle group’,” said Mr Newnham. “The various committees convened by the Education Departmenl have evolved outline courses for the ‘middle .group’ extending over five years, and detailed syllabuses have been prepared covering the first three years. The importance of the ‘middle group* in the over-all picture of engineering accomplishment has been emphasised to an increasing extent in recent years, and a pressing need will be for publicity bringing to the notice of young men embarking on their careers the opportunities for satisfying work and for advancement in this group.” University Training Defended Defending the position of university in engineering training, Professor N. M. McElwee, Dean of the School of Engineering at Canterbury University College, said that the young engineer coming out of college was not practically minded. A cadet very often took seven or eight years to qualify. The graduate got theoretical training first and still had a margin of time left to superimpose practical training. The degree channel could be regarded as the main one, but the professional examination channel should remain open. Other speakers had criticised the qualifications of the university graduate.

Mr I. L. Holmes, a senior lecturer in civil engineering at Canterbury University College, said that a graduate could not leave university and call himself an engineer. He required three more years of practical training. «It was for the institution, not the university, to knock the square corners off the young graduate. Universities were labouring under under-capital-isation—Canterbury College had three times as many students as it was designed to accommodate. The engineering school failed to train students for the more subtle things—to meet life as it came.

Mr P. L. Laing (Wellington) said that he had doubts about the scheme. He found that graduates seemed unwilling to get down to field work and surveying. Graduate engineers should be grounded in subject? “middle groupers” would be expected to understand.

If the policy were carried out in its entirety there would be an army well equipped with officers but no troops, said Mr W. C. Duffill (Dunedin). Consultants’ problems were acute and there were economic problems of training, he said. It was often found that the graduate sat back. Others who entered the profession with minimum qualification worked to improve their position.

The cadetship system had provided highly successful engineers, said Mr E. E. Hendrikson (Wellington). They had been hand picked for training. There were cases where cadetships had been refused and a bachelor of engineering taken, and the graduate had entered the profession and made a poor fist °f it. Should there be selection for B.E. training? Academic ability was only a portion of an engineer’s training and equipment. Mr Newnham said a full outline of the plan would appear in the forthcoming issue of the institution’s publication, “Engineering.” After further discussion yesterday morning, it was decided that the institution should use every endeavour to encourage young men to embark on the courses established for engineering technicians, and make their careers in this field.