Canadian civil engineering and sustainable development competence

• Main Author: Wright, Matthew Joseph
• Language: English
• Published: University of British Columbia 2014
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/46505

This study evaluated the importance of sustainable development competence for the civil engineering industry in British Columbia, Canada. Two central research questions were addressed. What is the current civil engineering industry understanding of sustainable development in the areas of knowledge, skills and attitudes? How important are sustainable development competencies for new engineering graduates, and how does this differ across various sectors? Data were collected from semi-structured interviews of sustainable development practitioners and the administration of a province-wide industry survey. The survey received qualified responses from industry representatives across multiple subdisciplines. The results of the research study have similar findings to previous research studies of sustainable development competence. Practitioners view engineering design, systems thinking and interdisciplinary teamwork as critical areas of competence. Discipline and firm size can contribute to significant level of importance for various competence areas. Two major themes emerged from the semi-structured interviews. These were categorized as mentorship and reputation, and were described as guiding principles of engineering practice. Minor themes were also noted, and included importance of communication and collaboration across engineering practice. Participants of both the interviews and survey indicated a growing concern for the work readiness of new Engineering graduates while remaining optimistic for the engineering profession. The diverse sustainable development competencies required of the civil engineering profession is cause for a re-examination of the civil engineering curriculum in Canada. There is evidence to suggest that students are facing a large learning curve entering the profession due to inadequate training course opportunities at the undergraduate level. Higher education institutions should be finding solutions to bridge the gap between industry and accreditation expectations of engineering graduates. Engineering education must adapt to meet the demands of the engineering profession as it continues to prioritize sustainable development as a fundamental requirement of engineering activities. === Applied Science, Faculty of === Civil Engineering, Department of === Graduate