Economic factors in engineering education in Great Britain: A review of existing literature and an indication of areas of research needs

The first chapter of the dissertation outlines the development of engineering education in Great Britain to provide a comprehensive insight into the present day pattern of education provision for engineers. The second chapter focusses on the debate between the Government Manpower Commission's views of a shortage of engineers and the reservation of certain economists that market evidence does not indicate excessive demand. The chapter concludes with a critical review of the Finniston report, representing the results of a recent Government Committee of Inquiry into the engineering profession. The third chapter examines research work conducted in industry to determine relationships between level and category of education, earnings and measures of industrial productivity. Figures are also presented which compare the costs of engineering education with other studies and estimate the private and social rates of return concerned. A fourth chapter attempts to draw some conclusions from the literature surveyed and proposes a simple model to relate the economic factors concerned with engineering education. General indications are given of some of the areas of potential research which will be needed to allow a fuller understanding of the issues involved. It is only from a full understanding of these issues that engineering education can fully provide the necessary service to the economic health of this industrial nation