The Graduate Program in Engineering

1

Transition from graduate engineer to professional engineer?

Graduate engineer:

Do I want to move from graduate engineer to professional engineer?

Engineering manager:

Do I want to be support my engineers moving from graduate engineer to professional engineer?

HR practitioner:

Does our organisation want to support our engineers moving from graduate engineer to professional engineer?

YES

NO

2

Achieve Chartered Status?

Graduate engineer:

Do I want to achieve Chartered Status?

Engineering manager:

Do I want the engineers in my team to achieve Chartered Status?

HR practitioner:

Does our organisation want our engineers to achieve Chartered Status?

YES

NO

3

Structured Mentoring Relationship?

Graduate engineer:

Would a more structured mentoring relationship help me fast track my professional development?

Engineering manager:

Would a more structured mentoring relationship help me fast track the professional development of my engineers?

HR practitioner:

Does our organisation want our engineers to have more structured mentoring relationships, which will help them fast track their professional development?

YES

NO

4

Develop the #1 professional habit of Self Awareness?

Graduate engineer:

Do I want to develop the #1 professional habit of Self Awareness?

Engineering manager:

Do I want the engineers in my team to develop the #1 professional habit of Self Awareness?

HR practitioner:

Does our organisation want our engineers to achieve Chartered Status develop the #1 professional habit of Self Awareness?

YES

NO

5

Support with writing Career Episode Reports (CERs)

Graduate engineer:

Will I benefit from additional support with writing Career Episode Reports (CERs) above and beyond that which I am already accessing from Engineers Australia?

Engineering manager:

Will I support my engineers with writing Career Episode Reports (CERs) as a part of my management relationship?

HR practitioner:

Does our organisation want our engineers and engineering managers spending time and effort in working towards Chartered Status?

YES

NO

6

Improve Communication Skills?

Graduate engineer:

Do I want to improve my communication skills so that I represent myself and my organisation more professionally?

Engineering manager:

Do I want to the engineers in my team to improve their communication skills so that they represent themselves and my engineering team more professionally?

HR practitioner:

Does our organisation want our engineers to improve their communication skills so that they represent themselves and our organisation more professionally?

YES

NO

7

Improve practical understanding of engineering planning and design?

Graduate engineer:

Do I want to improve my practical understanding of engineering planning and design?

Engineering manager:

Do I want to the engineers in my team to improve their practical understanding of engineering planning and design?

HR practitioner:

Does our organisation want our engineers to improve their practical understanding of engineering planning and design?

YES

NO

8

Understand business and ethics?

Graduate engineer:

Do I want to fast track my understanding of business and ethics including how my organisation makes a dollar (or how my organisation delivers a $ of value)?

Engineering manager:

Do I want my engineers to fast track their understanding of business and ethics including how my organisation makes a dollar (or how my organisation delivers a $ of value)?

HR practitioner:

Does our organisation want our engineers to fast track their understanding of business including how my organisation makes a dollar (or how my organisation delivers a $ of value)?

YES

NO

9

Have a career plan?

Graduate engineer:

Do I need help with developing my personal career plan that will guide me in my next career move?

Engineering manager:

Do I want to the engineers in my team to have personal career plans that will guide them in their next career move?

HR practitioner:

Does our organisation want our engineers to have personal career plans that will guide them in their next career move?

YES

NO

10

Benefit from networking?

Graduate engineer:

Will I benefit from networking with 20 like-minded engineers who share similar challenges and the desire to develop themselves professionally and achieve Chartered Status?

Engineering manager:

Do I want the engineers in my team to benefit from networking with 20 like-minded engineers who share similar challenges and the desire to develop themselves professionally and achieve Chartered Status?

HR practitioner:

Does our organisation want our engineers to benefit from networking with 20 like-minded engineers who share similar challenges and the desire to develop themselves professionally and achieve Chartered Status?

YES

NO

11

Apply learning to an ‘Organisational Issue’ work-based project

Graduate engineer:

Do I see benefit in investing my time and effort into applying the learning from The Graduate Program in Engineering to an ‘Organisational Issue’ work-based project and reporting back to my engineering manager and other interested managers from within my organisation?

Engineering manager:

Do I see benefit in investing my time and effort in supporting my engineers apply the learning from The Graduate Program in Engineering to an ‘Organisational Issue’ work-based project that they will report back to me and other managers from within the organisation?

HR practitioner:

Does our organisation see benefit in our graduate engineers and their engineering managers spending time and effort to apply the learning from The Graduate Program in Engineering to an ‘Organisational Issue’ work-based project that they will report back to managers from within the organisation?

YES

NO

Key Elements

Description

12 professional development modules led by EEA facilitator or expert and experienced engineers.

Modules include pre-module preparation and post-module implementation exercises

Module 1 – Management Overview and Commitment                                            

A half-day, face-to-face workshop for the CEO (or senior executive), HR practitioners, engineering managers and mentors.

It presents the EEA Model for Graduate Development, including the links to Engineers Australia and Chartered Status. The importance of establishing a mentoring and coaching culture within your organisation is identified as well as tips of what help may be required to achieve this.

This workshop also clarifies the roles and expectations of both the organisation and the graduate as well as the role of Engineering Education Australia in administering the program. It also explains the level of commitment required during the three years of this program and identifies the importance of ‘professional reflection’ and the ‘organisation issue’ work based project.

4hrs

Module 2 – Graduate Overview and Commitment            

A half-day, face-to-face workshop for the graduate. It focuses on the role of the engineer both within the organisation and externally, and includes a self-evaluation exercise utilising the Engineers Australia Engineering Skills Matrix. This will form the basis for the individual action plan leading to the graduate’s professional growth.

4hrs

Module 3 – Mentoring Development                     

A full-day, face-to-face workshop that includes a half-day session with the mentors followed by a half-day session with the graduates.

The half-day session for the mentors deals with how to be a mentor, as well as practical tips and ideas on how to implement a mentoring program.

The half-day session for the graduates deals with how to get the best out of being mentored and an understanding of the commitment required both ways.

8hrs

Module 4 – Understanding Self and Others

A full-day, face-to-face workshop that deals with identifying and working with specific personality types within the workplace, as well as cultural, gender and age differences and dealing with seniority and position within the organisation.

This module deals with the impact of communication style with others, social and self-awareness and the importance team participation.

8hrs

Module 5 – Career Episode Report Writing

(8hrs delivered three times over the course of the program)

A full-day face-to-face workshop led by an EEA technical writing expert and covers effective writing techniques and how to write effectively for CERs.

24hrs

Module 6 – Communication Skills

A full-day, face-to-face workshop that deals with the effective communication skills required by all employees within an organisation.  The focus is on the types of communication and how communication can impact on work and internal/external relationships.

Understanding how most people absorb information and the best means of effectively communicating are also a focus of the module, along with effective written and verbal communication skills and the importance of personal presentation and body language in communicating successfully. Presentation and skills in conducting meetings will also addressed.

8hrs

Module 7 – Presentation Skills

A half-day practical and interactive workshop that builds on overall communication skills and focuses specifically on presentation skills.

Applicable to one-on-one conversations, in a meeting, delivering a technical presentation, bidding for work or broader public speaking activities.

4hrs

Module 8 – Negotiation and Influence Skills

A half-day practical and interactive workshop that further builds on communication skills in the context of negotiation and influence.

Looking at what negotiation and influence are, a structured approach to negotiation, influencing skills, and the importance of negotiation and influence in various settings (eg in your team, with clients etc).

4hrs

Module 9 – Engineering Planning and Design

A full-day, face-to-face workshop that develops skills in planning and design, responding to client needs and building relationships to achieve the best outcome.

Understanding the full process of planning and design is the focus of this module from desk studies to detailed engineering and what should be achieved at each stage. A detailed look at engineering problem solving and engineering design leads to a practical group activity (case study) on problem solving.

8hrs

Module 10 – Business Acumen

A full-day, face-to-face workshop that deals with the question of what is business acumen? It looks at how money can be made, the ability to make profitable business decisions, keeping score and influencing the score.

This module starts by presenting a high-level systems perspective of leadership, strategic planning, customer focus, measurement, analysis, knowledge management, workforce focus, process management and results. Graduates are then guided through the fundamentals of finance and keeping financial score and leveraging financial results.

8hrs

Module 11 – Ethics

A half-day workshop based on a case study and led by an experienced engineer and involves interaction with the group to achieve an outcome that is accepted by the group.

An introduction to the Engineers Australia Code of Ethics is provided during this workshop.

4hrs

Module 12 – Managing Your Career

A half-day, face-to-face workshop involving discussions and a variety of skill development activities. Emphasis is placed on what directs us personally, and how this can be incorporated and managed when mapping a career pathway.

There is an emphasis on ‘your career is your responsibility’ and an introductory level of business knowledge requirements will be presented and practised.

4hrs

Community of Professional Practice

The Community of Professional Practice (CoPP) is an on-line support and communication resource that involves you, your engineering colleagues and the EEA faciliator and is available for the entire duration of the program.

N/A

Harvard Manage Mentor On-Line Resource with 350 video elements, 200 interactive learning activities and spanning 42 diverse topics

Essential activities have been carefully selected as pre-module and post-module exercises.

Optional: You also have access to the whole suite of 150+ hours of on-line learning and resources spanning 42 diverse management and leadership topics including:

• Budgeting
• Business Case Development
• Business Plan Development
• Career Management
• Change Management
• Coaching
• Crisis Management
• Customer Focus
• Decision Making
• Delegating
• Developing Employees
• Difficult Interactions
• Dismissing an Employee
• Diversity
• Feedback Essentials
• Finance Essentials
• Goal Setting
• Hiring
• Innovation & Creativity
• Innovation & Implementation
• Laying Off Employees
• Leading and Motivating
• Managing Upward
• Marketing Essentials
• Meeting Management
• Negotiating
• New Manager Transitions
• Performance Appraisal
• Performance Measurement
• Persuading Others
• Presentation Skills
• Process Improvement
• Project Management
• Retaining Employees
• Strategic Thinking
• Strategy Execution
• Stress Management
• Team Leadership
• Team Management
• Time Management
• Virtual Teams
• Writing Skills

150hrs+

Engineering Education Australia 2-day elective professional development course

Choose from either of:

• Project Management;
• Stepping up to Management; or
• Writing Winning Technical Documents

16hrs

Speed Learning and Speed Reading Program

The Speed Learning and Speed Reading programs are delivered on-line and will enable you to read and learn quicker and more effectively.

2hrs

Underpinning learning contract

Underpinning learning contract to ensure a result that has been clearly defined by the engineering organisation, the engineering manager and the graduate engineer

N/A

‘Organisational Issue’ work based project

Each graduate engineer will undertake an ‘Organisational Issue’ work-based project either by themselves or in teams and it is expected that they will spend up to 30 hours in putting this together in a professional report.

30hrs+

Networking Events

Networking events organised in partnership with Engineers Australia

N/A

Structured Reporting

Structured reporting to the graduate, engineering manager and HR practitioners

N/A

Local Support

Local support from EEA lead facilitator, Engineers Australia and the Professional Development Program

N/A

Career Episode Report (CER) Writing

In addition to the Career Episode Report (CER) Writing professional development module that is delivered 3 time, it is expected that each graduate will spend up to 30 hours in writing CERs and will achieve 50% or more of their CER submissions within the 3-years of this program

30hrs+

Professional Development Program (PDP)

Your Professional Development Program (PDP) annual fee is included in this program

N/A

Your career goals

The
Graduate Program in Engineering

Other typical graduate programs

Achieve Chartered Status

X

Start your journey of professional development as you move from graduate engineer to professional engineer

Develop a mentoring relationship to learn from the experience of senior engineers within your organisation

Apply learning to an ‘organisational issue’ work-based project, to demonstrate your value to your engineering organisation

X

Learn strategies to dramatically improve your performance and working relationships with other professionals in your engineering organisation and that you can use time and time again throughout your career

Improve your communication skills as a professional (eg writing, speaking, negotiation and influence)

Network with other like-minded engineers to learn from others and broaden your understanding of engineering disciplines and organisations other than your own

Learn how to manage your career instead of letting your career manage you!

Have fun learning new skills and knowledge and apply this directly to your professional and personal life to achieve specific outcomes that are defined by you