Characteristics of Engineers in the Views of the Automotive and the Auto Parts Industries

Abstract

                 The objective of this research is to study the characteristics of graduated engineers pertaining to the requirements of automotive and auto-parts industries.  The study also includes the problems and obstacles of currently working engineers.  The results of this study can be used as a guideline for curriculum development and improving the teaching and learning process in order to feed the market needs.

                 The results of the survey study, based on the data from 40 automobile companies and 158 auto-parts companies, indicated that the importance characteristics of newly graduated engineers should be as follows: understanding and following professional ethics, possessing adequate knowledge in the engineering professional field, having a good background in basic scientific and engineering, and being able to analyze and solve engineering problems.  In addition, the graduated engineers should be able to work with others as a team.   The major problems and obstacles of currently working engineers were the inability to indicate the problems and to use their knowledge to analyze and solve those problems.  Besides of these, they also lack of communication skills especially in English and/or other foreign languages as well as the ability to efficiently communicate with their supervisors and colleagues.