ALTERNATING ENGINEERING EDUCATION
at the
BUDAPEST UNIVERSITY of TECHNOLOGY and ECONOMICS
Partnership between university and enterprise
During the recent years of transforming the system, the Hungarian economy and specifically the Hungarian industry has been going through significant changes. As the result of these changes the engineering profession has been radically transformed.
The Hungarian system transformation process motivated the strenghtening of the links between industry (in broader sense economy) and higher education institutions, promoted the faster reaction of higher education institutions to the ever-growing demand for well trained specialists, and stimulated the creation of long-term, personal and institutional connections between these two fields. In achieving these goals it became important to start an alternating type higher education training which is based on industrial and higher educational cooperation. This training form has proven its effectiveness in international, among others in French practice during the last 10-15 years (the training at BUTE was initially based on the alternating training model of CNAM Ingénieurs 2000). In France, during the middle of the 80’s, only some dozens of engineers were trained in alternating form, but by the turn of the century the number of French engineering students studying in alternating, industrial based form, has reached the several thousands, and this number increases from year to year. In the middle of the 80’s the situation in France became favourable for the expansion of alternating engineering education. There were three important factors acting in favour of this development:
These three forces, the two partners participating in the training and the financial base for running it, seem to be more and more visible in Hungary.
Financing education, helping to introduce new educational forms is in the primary interest of enterprises. A company which decides to participate in alternating type training considers it as part of its strategic planning; it spends time, money and resources on getting newly graduated engineers whose training is the best fitting to the company’s needs. They expect this return “for their money”. In a certain sense we can call it responsibility or mission as well. Through establishing and operating alternating type training the company is looking for a flexible and more direct way to influence the traditional higher education at the universities and alter it in a way that suits the company’s needs better. Company leaders often voice this need, but in practice, industry, especially, companies have very little influence on higher education.
To train engineers in alternating type training also means that we want to adjust the education to the growing complexity of certain professions.
There are professions- their number is growing – for which the alternating education is the best training method. A work process together with its production line can not be understood, and it can not even be modeled at the university, because of the high cost. Universities can not afford that, but in the framework of alternating training they can send their students to a company where the student can see the process and the production line in work, in “real life” situation. We all know that a medical student can not become a surgeon without ever seeing a patient. We have to make it accepted that there are other professions and related tasks (operation process control, quality management, environmental protection, project management...) which can not be learned at the university only.
We also have to acknowledge that there are students who can learn easier if they can apply the theory immediately and directly. Why not give them this opportunity, by letting them choose the alternating educational form, which will give them effective practical training as soon as possible.
When we teach complex professions we know that lots of time should be invested in it during the university- and the industrial-period as well, during the 4 semesters of alternation. The Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BUTE) is acknowledged for its high quality education, but it traditionally tends to give general and more and more academic education, which makes the students suitable for research or high-level management positions. But what percentage of the graduating students will find a position in research or higher management? Very small. The companies need much more young engineers who are interested in applying the skills they acquired, who are attracted to company tasks, which need practical and organizational skills, development plans, project management experience and communication skills, to mention only some. The students who apply for alternating training are much better motivated in company tasks, and this training gives them the opportunity to get to know the reality soon.
It means an up-to-date and future oriented, not second rate, but novel educational form! How many times do we read the job-advertisement line: “...the company is seeking young, newly graduated engineers with company experience...”. These seem to be contradicting demands. Or maybe not? Is it possible that somebody with a brand new engineering diploma has had experiences at a company?
In 1996, BUTE started an alternating, industry backed educational form, which resolves this contradiction, with its special alternating element. It ensures academic knowledge and practical skills at the same time. If we want to go back to our example, the alternating student will be able to list a one-year company experience on his CV. It will give him a huge advantage over a “normal” student
For the university the alternating training gives the opportunity to try and spread the use of new educational methods like open and distance learning, to improve and update the curricula, to purchase new research equipment for their laboratories with the financial help of the companies. The personal contact of the university tutors and the industrial tutors will directly build a closer connection between the university and the company. The result of this link might be a research project ordered by the company, the implementation of which will get the university closer to real life tasks, solving practical problems.
The enterprise will get professionals who can be directly and continuously employed. The company can solve the continuous training of its existing employees at a low cost. The cost related to alternating training will be returned soon, since they can hire new graduates who already know the demands of the company and they are familiar with the everyday tasks. The cost during the 2 industrial semesters is significantly less, than the cost of in-service training for an unexperienced new employee, which will also lower the productivity and cause loss of working hours.
The students will get a custom-made and personal training program, with the help of the special double tutorship of a university and an industrial tutor. He will have time to prepare for his future job in theory and in practice as well.
The two most important difference between “normal” engineering training and alternating training are the above mentioned double tutorship and the specifically designed educational program.
Double tutorship means that each student has 2 tutors, a university tutor and an industrial tutor. The university tutor is responsible for the student for the full period of the training, while the industrial tutor is responsible only during the two industrial semesters. The special educational program includes 3 extra subjects which are compulsory for the alternating students.
These were chosen based on international and Hungarian experiences, considering the demands of many companies.
During the industrial semester the student gets well defined, executable tasks from the company for which he is responsible. The situtation is real, not simulation, not artificial, he does not pretend to have a job, he has a job. Meanwhile, he is still a student, so he has the right for ”observation” and also the right for ”making a mistake”. It is desireable to make the student get aqcuanted with all aspects of the work. Due to this experience he will feel the company’s atmosphere and anticipations.
The training at the company should give the students the opportunity to realise and learn what an engineer needs to know. This can be ensured by giving them tasks and responsibilities which are similar to actual ones.
Prior to each industrial semester, it is the company’s job (the industrial tutor on behalf of it) to define the program and schedule of the student. This planning should be done in close cooperation with the student’s university tutor.
The completion of the assignment will be continuously monitored and evaluated by the industrial tutor, and at the end of the semester he fills out an evaluation questionnaire. The questions will address the following main aspects:
Besides these forms of evaluation, at the end of each industrial semester, there will be a small conference, organised by the company, with the participation of all partners. The students give a small presentation on their semester assignement and achievments in front of a jury formed by experts from the university and from the company. (Depending on the company, the best presentation might be awarded a prize, like Dunaferr prize.)
Although the students keep their student status, during the industrial semesters the company rules regarding employees will apply to them as well. (working hours, safety regulations...)
The student is not obliged to work at the company, and the company is not obliged to hire its alternating students after graduation. If the company trains several (depending on its size) alternating students, then it can choose from the graduating students the best ones for the available jobs. For two semesters, at a low cost, they can ”test” the alternating students, and after graduation they can keep the most suitable (from the company’s point of view) ones. The only professional responsiblity of the company is to provide good conditions and tasks for the students to prepare them for the engineering profession, and it is not a small undertaking.
Besides this, the company has to provide the following for the students:
The coordination of this training is carried out in this center, which operates within IEC of BUTE. The work is done in the Center and in its Secretariat. The main tasks of this office are.
- creating common training forms, procedures, methods
Within the center the responsible for industrial relations is:
Mária Perger
BUTE IEC Alternating Engineering Training Center
Phone: +36-1-4632929
Fax: +36-1-4632460
email: ?
Bertalan Lajos str.2./A
Budapest
1111 Hungary