Student work readiness in Australian engineering workplaces through work integrated learning

PurposeAs part of the Co-Operative Education Program (CEP) under study, a Work-integrated Learning (WIL) student engagement framework is presented. The framework focusses on the effectiveness of the WIL program with real-world assessment tasks to prepare students for graduate employment. In order to evaluate the level at which the engineering graduates are work-ready, an analysis of qualitative and quantitative survey data from CQU students, employers and data from other sources was undertaken. The paper aims to discuss these issues.Design/methodology/approachWIL is an effective pedagogical strategy employed in engineering curriculum to engage students with workplace partners and engineering practices. However, little is known about the problems exist in the WIL processes including insufficient resources and support for mentoring students. On overcoming the problems, an effective collaboration between students, universities and engineering workplaces provides an enhanced engagement experience and enables students’ work-ready skills. Central Queensland University (CQU)’s Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) and Diploma of Professional Practice (Co-op) students participate in two 6-month WIL placements over the course of their university studies.FindingsTo identify the impact of the co-operative education model on graduate outcomes, an analysis of student assessment data from 2016 to 2018 showed that the student employability indicators were consistently above the national average of graduate engineering students. All areas such as knowledge base, engineering ability and professional attributes, students’ performance were rated at or above the average of a graduate engineer by employers.Originality/valueAs part of practice assessment, engineering workplace employers provide an evaluation of students’ performance against the Engineers Australia (EA) Stage 1 Competency Standard for Professional Engineers, involving sixteen mandatory elements in the areas of knowledge and skill base, engineering application ability, and professional and personal attributes.

Integrated Approach for Successful Well Abandonment Under Challenging Well Conditions – A Case Study

Emerging technologies, stringent permanent well abandonment regulations, and increasing well complexity affect the way we execute well intervention operations. One of the major operators in the Netherlands had an objective to set underbalanced cement plugs in brine across a deviated section using managed-pressure equipment to overcome high reservoir bottomhole pressure. The project involved several challenges: large-diameter production casing with a requirement to maintain high shut-in wellhead pressure, complex wellbore geometry, operations from a workover rig with zero discharge allowance, corrosive salt environment, and small cement slurry volume. These challenges had to be addressed to complete well abandonment to minimize safety risks, maximize efficiency, and achieve compliance with industry standards and regulatory requirements. This paper discusses two case studies involving underbalanced pump-and-pull and conventional balanced plug placement techniques. Thorough analysis and risk assessment, engineering design approach, comprehensive laboratory testing, and fit-for-purpose surface equipment and downhole tools enabled flawless job execution and placement and achievement of long-term zonal isolation. The first well-barrier elements were successfully verified by tagging and pressure testing in both cases. Results of this study include the following observations and conclusions: Managed-pressure cementing was proven to be an ideal solution for a well abandonment in a reservoir environment of high bottomhole pressure.Highly magnesium-resistant cement slurry design should be considered when setting cement plugs across an extremely corrosive salt environment.Successful verification of the first well-barrier element simplifies operations for subsequent cement plugs. Cost-effective solutions for permanent well abandonment under challenging downhole conditions attracts increasing interest from petroleum engineers due to increasing well complexity and low oil prices that challenge the economics of wells, leading to abandonment. The current paper describes the challenging conditions under which the wells had to be abandoned, thorough analysis of the risks involved, and an effective solution. The design strategy, execution, evaluation, and results for these two wells are discussed in detail and will help to guide success and solve problems related to permanent well abandonment under similar challenging conditions.

SURVEYS FOR SIMULTANEOUS DIRECT AND INDIRECT ASSESSMENT

– As the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board moves toward outcomes-based assessment, engineering institutions are employing a variety of assessment tools and methods. Surveys are usually thought of as indirect measures. However, survey tools can easily provide direct measures as well, and can therefore simultaneously present direct and indirect assessments to students. This paper examines the benefits and possibilities of exploiting such simultaneous direct and indirect assessment.

Bridging the Gap Between Qualitative, Semi-Quantitative and Quantitative Risk Assessment of Pipeline Geohazards: The Role of Engineering Judgment

Geohazards are threats of a geological, geotechnical, hydrological or seismic/tectonic nature that can potentially damage pipelines and other infrastructure. Depending on the physiographic setting of a particular pipeline, a broad range of geohazards may be possible along the pipeline route. However, only a limited number of geohazards such as landslides, fault displacement, mining-induced subsidence, liquefaction-induced lateral spreading, and hydrological scour, which can result in permanent ground deformation or exposure of the pipeline to direct impact, typically represent credible threats to pipeline integrity. Identifying potential geohazard occurrences and estimating the likely severity of each occurrence in relation to pipeline integrity is an integral part of geohazard management, and overall risk management of pipelines. Methods for identifying and assessing the potential likelihood and severity of geohazards vary significantly, from purely expert judgment-based approaches relying largely on visual observations of geomorphology to analytically-intense methods incorporating phenomenological or mechanistic models and data from monitoring and field characterization. Each of these methods can be used to assess hazard and risk associated with specific geohazards in terms of qualitative, semi-quantitative, or quantitative expressions as long as uncertainty and assumptions are understood and communicated as part of the assessment. Engineering judgment is highlighted as an essential component to varying degrees of each geohazard assessment approach.

COMMUNICATION IN STEM EDUCATION: A NON-INTRUSIVE METHOD FOR ASSESSMENT & K20 EDUCATOR FEEDBACK

The current push to educate highly qualified and productive Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) professionals typically culminates in collegiate capstone projects. These group projects attempt to prepare STEM professionals for entry into the real world as they exemplify early career group dynamics and expose the reality that communication and other soft-skills are often just as important as technical skills. Since attitudes of STEM students and early career professions are established throughout the entire K-20 curriculum, this article also provides some feedback to educators. The research presented utilized, a free cloud based collaboration tool to observe the communication habits of three senior capstone teams (n= 13 participants) and was able to predict communication success and failures through straight-forward analysis of several key parameters, including: discussion frequency, number of responses and the distribution of work over time. Key words: communication in STEM, communication assessment, senior capstones, non-intrusive soft-skill assessment, engineering education, ABET.