Engineering conversion evaluation and monitoring

Tender description

The demand for engineers within England and the UK is high, and the number of graduates in engineering entering the profession is understood by many to be insufficient to keep up with growing demand and to replace existing engineers that leave the profession each year. Other higher education subjects develop skills and knowledge which could provide a sound basis for building upon and allowing graduates to develop a career in engineering. HEFCE, with funding from BIS and DCMS, launched a call in September 2015 to support institutions within England to develop and market new engineering conversion courses, which would support graduates from non-engineering courses in undertaking careers in engineering, and graduates from non-computer science programmes in developing careers in cybersecurity, data science, and software engineering. The funded courses will be developed in the remainder of academic year 2015/16, and will start delivery in academic year 2016/17. The success of the Engineering Conversion Course Pilot Scheme will ultimately be measured according to how it meets its aims and objectives, in particular in allowing a greater number and broader range of individuals to gain access to and develop careers in engineering and in specialist areas of engineering-related computer science. HEFCE is seeking bids from researchers who would be interested in undertaking evaluative work to measure how successfully the funded courses, and the scheme as a whole, addresses the stated aims. The main aims of this evaluative work are - To evaluate the different models of course and delivery which have been funded, and reflect on how well they meet the aims of increasing the number and range of individuals accessing careers in engineering and in cybersecurity, data science, and software engineering; - To provide an evaluative narrative of the scheme and the funded courses, enabling the funded institutions and other institutions interested in developing similar programmes to benefit from the experience; - To work with the funded institutions and HEFCE in running workshops which will enable the sharing of experiences and promote good practice as the funded courses are developed, marketed, and delivered; - Make recommendations for growth and sustainability of the courses after the funding period; - Consider how successful courses have been in broadening access to careers in engineering, data science, cyber security, and software engineering, in particular in attracting more women into STEM careers; - Identify what can be learnt from the profile of the learners, to attract future cohorts; and - Measure how effectively courses have met local or national priorities for skills gaps in STEM, especially if mentioned in application for funding.