Competing with Co-ops: Providing Affordable International Opportunities for Engineering Students

Competing With Domestic Co-ops

Providing affordable international opportunities for

engineering students

Presenters

Catherine DonohoeCareer Advisor, Engineering Co-op & Career

Services, University of Maryland

Daniela AscarelliAssistant Vice Provost for International Programs, Director, Drexel Study Abroad, Drexel University

Angela ShaefferDirector, Program Development, Cultural Vistas

Tell Us About Yourself

What is your role?

• Campus Education Abroad Administrator

• Engineering School/ Department Faculty or Staff

• Study Abroad Provider Administrator

• Resident Director

• Other

What international programming do you currently offer engineering students?

• What successes have you had? What are your concerns?

Questions you hope we will address today

Today’s Session

1) Engineering Students and Programs

2) Career Services Perspective -Employment of Engineering Students and Graduates

3) Developing international internship and research opportunities for Engineers as a University or as a Provider Organization

4) Finding Funding

5) Bring it home – what can your institution do?

A Tale of Two Universities

University of Maryland

• Public Research University in College Park, MD

• >26,000 undergraduate

• >10,000 graduate

• 15 colleges & schools

• ~250 academic programs

Drexel University• Private Research

University in Philadelphia, PA

• >16,000 undergraduate

• >8,000 graduate

• 15 colleges & schools

• ~200 degree programs

Where Are Drexel STEM Students?

• College of Engineering

• College of Computing and Informatics

• College of Arts and Sciences

• School of Biomedical Engineering

Where are STEM students at the University of Maryland?

Colleges with STEM majors:

• A. James Clark School of Engineering

• Agriculture & Natural Resources

• Behavioral & Social Sciences

• Architecture, Planning & Preservation

• Public Health

• Robert H. Smith School of Business

• Largest private engineering college in US

• 660 BS degrees granted

• ABET accredited BS programs:

Chemical Engineering

Civil, Architectural & Environmental Engineering

Computer Engineering

Electrical Engineering

Materials Engineering

Mechanical Engineering

840 BS degrees granted annually ABET accredited BS programs:

Aerospace Engineering

Bioengineering

Chemical and Bio-molecular Engineering

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Fire Protection Engineering

Materials Science and Engineering

Mechanical Engineering

Competing with Domestic Co-ops:A Career Services

Perspective

Catherine DonohoeCareer Advisor

Engineering Co-op & Career ServicesUniversity of Maryland

Employment Outlook for Engineering Students

• Employment outlook and salaries for engineering students

• Entry level full time and internships/ co-ops

• Glossary: Internship and Co-op

Entry-level Salaries

Source: National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) September 2014 Student Survey

Entry-level Salaries

Source: National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) September 2014 Student Survey

Average Starting Salary for Entry Level Full Time PositionComputer Science: $62,103Engineering: $62,891Other Math/ Sciences: $44,299Overall (average of all majors): $48,707

Entry-level Salaries - Engineers

Source: National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) September 2014 Student Survey

Entry-level Salaries by Industry

What do employers value?

Source: NACE, The Job Outlook for The Class of 2014

I say co-op, you say…Internship

• 2-3 months full time during summer break

• May continue part time during the semester

• Does not delay graduation

• Basic exposure to company

• Depth and breadth of responsibility vary

Co-op position

• 6-9+ months full time during summer and semester

• May include rotation over multiple years

• Usually extends time to graduation

• In depth exposure to 1+ areas of company

• Usually a higher level of responsibility

Long-term benefits of co-op/ intern experience

• Employers look for technical experience on resume

• Likelihood of conversion to full time employee

• In 2014, companies extended full time offers to 64.8% of their former interns, 56.8% of former co-ops (according to NACE Survey of Employers)

• Improved employee retention

Intern/ Co-op Salaries

• Average wage for engineering co-op or intern positions = $20/ hour

• Benefits may include social activities, paid holidays, service time and relocation assistance/ housing stipend

• Potential summer income for an engineering intern:

Gross Wages and Earnings

$20 * 40 hours/ week * 12 weeks $9600

Housing Stipend/ Relocation

Varies – estimate $2500

Rent, food Varies - estimate -$3500

Income (before taxes) $8600

Program Models for STEM Students

Daniela AscarelliAssistant Vice Provost, Intl Programs

Director, Study AbroadDrexel University

Engineering Curriculum

• ABET = Accrediting body for schools of engineering

• Criterion 3 Student Outcomes

• Technical Skills and “Soft” Skills

• How does ABET view experiential learning• Approval by program

• For credit or not

Drexel University

• Located in Philadelphia

• 25,000 total students

• 14,000 UG students

• 4,600 GR students

• A co-op institution, where over 90% of all students participate in three 6 month co-ops.

• A quarter school whereby students are obligated to Drexel 12 months/year after their 1st summer

Program Models for STEM Students

Less than full term opportunities

• Global Classrooms

• Intensive courses abroad

• International experiences

Full-term opportunities

• Research focused programs

• Exchange programs

• Study + Co-op opportunities

• Dual degree programs

Less than Full Term Options

Global Classrooms• Allows a “glocal” focus

• Mimics ‘real’ world collaboration

• Gateway to more immersive opportunities

Intensive course abroad

• Take advantage of short

intersessions

• No extra tuition cost for

students

• Opportunity to liaise with

partners

• Seen as not interfering

with regular classes

More Short Term OptionsInternational Experiences• Faculty supervised and/or driven,

not for credit• Often times service oriented in

nature• Frequently take place during

term breaks• Thai Harvest

• Initiated by DU faculty member in MEM

• Global Brigades• Various Brigades,

focusing on variety of topics

• BSN to Paraguay• Engineers without Borders

Research focused programs

• Opportunity to work with partners and increase research collaboration

• Frequently driven by faculty interest

Bochum• For CHEME and MEM students• Classes co-taught by Drexel and Bochum

faculty• Includes a research course

Research focused programs

• Opportunity to work with partners and increase research collaboration

• Frequently driven by faculty interest

Bioko• ENVS focused program, popular with Bio

students as well• Two research courses, including a 6 credit

research capstone project• Classes taught by Drexel faculty or

Drexel hired adjuncts.• Students are in courses with local

students.

Study + Co-op Opportunities

• Tend to be longer in nature, up to a full academic year

• Allows students to truly immerse themselves abroad

• Provides the best of both worlds!

• UAS7– study+co-opopportunity, possibility of paid internship.

• Tohoku– 12 months, co-op opportunity is in a lab. Unpaid positions

Exchange Programs

• Bilaterals• Consortium

• GE3• Michigan’s SJTU Joint

Institute• UAS7• Study + co-op

• English language terms• Sapiens• ICAI/ UPComillas, Spain• Spring term, designed in

conjunction with Univ of Illinois

• FAME program• ENSEA, France

Dual Degree Programs

EAGLES• 3 countries– Spain, Italy and the

US• 2 degrees– Drexel and Polimilano• For engineers interested in energy

issues• Majority of students have been in

an accelerated BS/MS program

PKUSZ in Shenzen• Aimed at ENVE engineers.• One year at Drexel, one

year at PKUSZ• Either one term exchange or full

year with dual degree• Issues gaining traction

STEM & Program Development

Angie ShaefferDirector

Program DevelopmentCultural Vistas

Catalysts for STEM Program Development

• 16% of American high school students are interested in STEM

• Only half of college students who study STEM pursue STEM-relevant careers

• President Obama’s STEM Goals:

• develop, recruit, and retain 100,000 excellent STEM teachers over the next 10 years

• asked colleges and universities to graduate an additional 1 million students with STEM majors.

• improvements in STEM education will happen only if Hispanics, African-Americans, and other underrepresented groups in the STEM fields—including women, people with disabilities, and first-generation Americans—participate.Source: www.ed.gov/stem

U.S. Department of State 2015 STEM Initiatives

• Federal Five-Year Strategic Plan for STEM Education

• STEM Innovation Proposal: $170 million in new funding that will help to train the next generation of innovators. Key activities include:

• STEM Innovation Networks ($110 million): grants to school districts in partnership with colleges, and other regional partners to transform STEM teaching and learning by accelerating the adoption of practices in P-12 education that help to increase the number students who seek out and are well-prepared for postsecondary education and careers in STEM fields.

• STEM Teacher Pathways ($40 million): provide competitive awards to high-quality programs that recruit and train talented STEM educators for high-need schools.

• National STEM Master Teacher Corps ($20 million): identify, refine and share models to help America's best and brightest math and science teachers to make the transition from excellent teachers to school and community leaders and advocates for STEM education. The program will enlist, recognize and reward a national corps of outstanding STEM educators to help improve STEM teaching and learning in their schools and communities.

Cultural Vistas: STEM ProgramsOrganizational Mission: To provide experience for the global workforce.

Current Undergraduate Program Models

Funded

• STEM LAUNCH• Funded by The Halle

Foundation

• Partnership with Spelman& Morehouse Colleges

• Cultural Vistas Fellowship• Summer Internship in field

of sustainability

• Targets all underrepresented students

Fee-based

• IAESTE • International Association

for the Exchange of Students with Technical Experience

• Research- and work-based

• Internships Abroad• Students placed in

internships of interest (some paid)

University of Waterloo Co-op Program

FALL WINTER SPRING/SUMM

ER

Year 1 1A 1B WT1

Year 2 2A WT2 2B

Year 3 WT3 3A WT4

Year 4 3B WT5 4A

Year 5 WT6 4B A=semester 1;

B=semester 2;

WT=Winterterm

Co-operative Education Structure:•6500-7000 students per term on work term•80% in Canada, 10% in USA, 10% in rest of world•academic and work terms integrated to promote career- focused and applied learning•students complete professional development courses online while on work terms using work experience as basis for course engagement

(A=semester 1, B=semester 2, WT=work term)

Required Courses:

PD1: Co-op Fundamentals

PD 2: Critical Reflection and

Report Writing

PD20: Engineering

Workplace Skills I:

Developing Reasoned

Conclusions

PD21: Engineering

Workplace Skills II:

Developing Effective Plans

Elective Courses:

PD3: Communication

PD4: Teamwork

PD5: Project Management

PD6: Problem Solving

PD7: Conflict Resolution

PD8: Intercultural Skills

PD9: Ethical Decision Making

PD22: Professionalism and

Ethics in Engineering Practice

Professional DevelopmentProgram Schedule

IAESTE: Research Internship Placement Approach

• 65+ years, ~345,000 alumni around the world

• Compensated internships; scholarships available for U.S. participants

• 2012 stats:

• Students on traineeships: 3951

• Employers offering traineeships: 2795

• Universities sending students: 931

• Challenges

• Placements take time (PATIENCE PATIENCE PATIENCE)

• Best for students who are comfortable with less on-the-ground support

• Best fit for student experientially

IAESTE Participant Emma W.Mechanical Engineering Major

Placement: Bosnia, PetrolInvest

• “One of the upsides of working in a relatively small company was the close relationships shared by the different departments. For example, if we needed to clarify or make changes to a design we were able to talk to the other departments in person. The collaborative energy was evident. Even though the work atmosphere was less rushed and stressed than how I’ve found it in America, everything was still finished on time. At the office, my coworkers were glad to have me around and liked to hear about the different plans I had for the weekends.”

STEM LAUNCH: Career Exploration Study Tour

Approach• More likely to pursue graduate study (~85%

would consider a higher degree in STEM because of the program)

• Greater awareness of career pathways (95%)• Understand value of an international

experience (~90%)• Likelihood of going abroad again: 100%• Gain practical intercultural skills: 100%• Better understanding of international business

and research cooperation (~90%)• Develop skills that complement academics

(~88%)

(Source: STEM LAUNCH Post-Program Surveys 2013 & 2014 Programs)

STEM LAUNCHRelevant Reactions

• It is important to open your horizons; one may never know the many abundant opportunities that are available if they do not step out of their comfort zone and explore. (Spelman College, Chemistry/Chemical Engineering ’15 Major)

• This experience has opened my eyes to having a career internationally and being involved in foreign engagements. Being a consultant, I would love to travel to Germany again to work alongside one of the companies we visited. (Morehouse College, Industrial Engineering/Applied Physics ’16 Major)

Vision to Reality An Advisor’s Perspective for

Pursuing Programming

• Revisiting program portfolios

• Individual students vs. structured programming

• Strategic planning

• Less the “why,” more the “how”

• Involving offices across organization and/or campus

• MOUs: Legacies, creating new partnerships

• Identifying partners & partnership opportunities

• Provider inquiries: What can be done?

• Develop an advising strategy

Finding Funding

Examples of Funding

Funding OptionsNational options

• DAAD• Freeman Foundation– funding for

co-op in S. East Asia• 100,000 strong• Gilman/ Boren• Pire/NSF/etc

Internal sources @ Drexel• Global classroom

• $1000 faculty stipend

• ITA’s• Assistance for faculty travel to intl

conferences.

Study Abroad scholarships• Fall 2014 over $43000 in funding

disbursed.

Take the Discussion Home

How can you develop experiential opportunities for the engineering students you serve?

Your Role

• Campus – Study Abroad Administrators

• Campus – Faculty

• Funding Organizations

• Providers – Administrators

• Providers – Resident Directors

Take the Discussion HomeHow can you develop experiential opportunities for the engineering students you serve?

Who to involve?

• Career Services

• Faculty/ Academic Advisors

• Employers

• Agencies/ Providers

• Other Resources

Take the Discussion Home

How can you develop experiential opportunities for the engineering students you serve?

• Learning Objectives/ Goals of New Programming

• Funding Opportunities

• Logistics

• Risk Management – Health, Safety, Liability

Additional Resources• NAFSA Underrepresentation in Education

Abroad Subcommittee• Diversity Abroad• IIE

• 2009 White Paper & Downloadable Presentation: Promoting Study Abroad in Science and Technology Fields

• NACE (National Association of Colleges and Employers)

• Global E3 – international engineering consortium

• Funding resources: Boren, Gilman, Provider $$$

Questions?