Implementing project based learning and tools to develop employability skills for early tertiary learners in engineering education

From recent studies and research, it is clearly defined that 21st century industries/employers seek engineering graduates that have employability skills. From the new trends, major emphasis on practical applications compared to theory is given in engineering education. The pathway from education to employability is critical for an early tertiary learner to establish their career. Currently, industry bodies are actively sourcing graduates that can deliver employability skills such as, professional communication, problem solving and teamwork competency and many more. Learning technical and subject knowledge is essential in engineering, however employers also strive for candidates that can deliver a large range of professional/employability skills (Mishra, 2016). In order to overcome and adapt to new challenges and problematic scenarios, employers look for exceptional employability attributes. This excessive demand of professionally equipped graduates has caused the desire of many universities and institutes to develop their learners with strong theoretical knowledge and embed graduate attributes into courses through assignments and projects (Zaharim et al., 2010). Project based learning (PjBL) has found to be an authentic, modernised and successful teaching and learning pedagogy that has supported this shift from disciplinary theoretical knowledge to practical learning (Shekhar, 2014). This paper presents the overview and implementation of PjBL and educational tools called Rauemi Ipurangi – an online interactive activity-based resource. Also, two imperative questionnaires are designed to gather feedback from the early tertiary learners on the competency of their employability skills to analyse and evaluate the students’ performance. Rauemi Ipurangi is created and developed to focus on three key employability attributes: teamwork, communication and wellbeing. The resource also comprises of ultural/indigenous Māori frameworks known as the model of Te Whare Tapa Wha by M. Durie to promote diversified employability environment in New Zealand. Learner profile & employability skills self-assessment questionnaires are used to collect feedback from the students throughout the semester, to analyse their experience in attaining graduate attributes earlier in their year 1 courses of their engineering programme