Includes bibliographical references. / The South African economy is currently experiencing a slow growth rate as a result of amongst other things, a shortage of engineers and technicians. This study sets out to investigate the present utilization and shortage of mechanical engineers. It was felt that with a comprehensive knowledge of the utilization of mechanical engineers, industrialists would be better equipped to improve productivity by taking the necessary steps to ensure effective utilization of engineering manpower. The study gathered empirical data, by means of a survey, from seven hundred and sixty seven (767) respondents located throughout South Africa. The study established that the present utilization of mechanical engineers is about sixty (60) percent and that the most probable cause of the poor utilization is a lack of sufficient technical support staff for the engineer.

Thesis (M.S.)--Rowan University, 2006. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references.

The 1996 Johnson stakeholder review of Australian engineering education recommended the development of a number of broadly defined attributes in all engineering graduates. The Institution of Engineers, Australia (now Engineers Australia) responded swiftly by switching the focus of its engineering course accreditation requirements from course content to graduate attribute outcomes. To maximise the effectiveness of this approach to the mechanical engineering discipline a clear understanding of the relative significance of a more detailed range of attributes to Australian industry is essential, yet the scope of the mechanical engineering profession is broad and views of individual practitioners contributing to debate on attribute requirements are largely influenced by their own often unique professional formation. The research presented in this thesis is unique in using a role based analysis of the relative significance of an extensive range of attributes considered relevant to Australian mechanical engineers. The study covers the six industries found to employ the greatest number of Australian mechanical engineers. The significance of these attributes in the core mechanical engineering roles of each industry are weighted according to the numbers of mechanical engineers employed in those roles. These attribute significance profiles are considered in the context of a study of the formative development of the profession under the extensive influence of 19th and 20th century UK and US practices and recent momentous changes in engineering employment and formation. A wide range of appropriate teaching strategies to develop the most significant attributes through proximal and distance learning are explored and a brief account of the candidate’s work in developing and assessing the use of technology to enhance flexible learning in the field of engineering education is also included in this thesis. Whilst major areas of the mechanical engineers knowledge base are considered as part of the main study, further case study based research is presented to assess in more detail the knowledge base requirements for Australia’s best performing manufacturing industry by ‘industry value added’ - Food, Beverage and Pharmaceuticals and as such provides an indication of the relevance of the content base of Australian mechanical (as well as chemical and electrical) engineering degree programs to an Australian industry sector.

Abstract   The purpose of this doctoral thesis is to shed light on, explain, and problematize women’s and men’s paths both to and within the profession of engineer. Computer and mechanical engineers are in focus and the overarching issues that this thesis attempts to answer are: How can women’s and men’s paths to the profession of engineer be explained and what has governed/motivated their choice of education? How do women’s and men’s career patterns look in professional life, and how can these patterns be explained?   This study is based on a social-constructivistic approach, entailing a focus on how choices of education and profession have been negotiated through social and cultural practices, norms, and values. The thesis combines work science research with research into the gender and technology fields. In particular, the relationships between gender, technology, and labour market gender segregation are of key importance in this thesis. The four part studies of the thesis are based on three qualitative studies and on one quantitative study. The qualitative studies consist of interview surveys with a total of 24 computer and mechanical engineers and 22 IT consultants. The quantitative survey is an exhaustive survey of 3,662 working IT engineers.   My studies show that the career patterns of women and men in the profession of engineer differ. Men’s paths both to and within the profession tend to be “straight” while women’s are often “winding”. The thesis shows that historically established, often stereotypical, conceptions of gender contribute towards recreating these different paths for women and men. At the same time, tendencies towards change are indicated. This is made visible through a gradually changing view of both father- and parenthood, which in and of itself is creating new prerequisites for women and men in working life. In concluding, the thesis proposes a new term, technology career, as an analytical tool for continued studies of gender segregation in technology and engineering professions. The aim in using this term is to capture the social complexity and cultural dynamic as regards how technology and gender are co-produced. / ”Jag har ju en yngre bror som har stöttat mig i det här. Han har ju samma utbildning som jag men han valde ju rätt med en gång [   ] han gick mera den raka vägen än min krokiga.”   Såhär säger Kristina om sin väg till ingenjörsutbildningen och till ingenjörsyrket. Till skillnad från hennes yngre bror var hennes väg ”krokig”, medan hans var ”rak”. Denna avhandling tar sig an den könssegregering i ingenjörsutbildningar och i ingenjörsyrket som Kristinas berättelse återspeglar. I fokus står data- och maskingenjörer. Detta är två av de mest könssegregerade ingenjörsgrenarna, och betraktas ofta som ”mansyrken”. Genom såväl kvalitativa intervjuer med ingenjörer och en kvantitativ totalundersökning av över 3000 ingenjörers karriärmönster, undersöker avhandlingen vilka tecken på förändring som syns i ingenjörsyrkets könssegregering. Vilka är hindren för kvinnor att ta plats inom yrket, och vilka möjligheter finns?   Line Holth är forskare i arbetsvetenskap och verksam vid Handelshögskolan och Centrum för genusforskning vid Karlstads universitet. Detta är hennes doktorsavhandling.