ERIC Number: EJ1037506
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2014
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0304-3797
EISSN: N/A
Competences in Demand within the Spanish Agricultural Engineering Sector
Perdigones, Alicia; Valera, Diego Luis; Moreda, Guillermo Pedro; García, Jose Luis
European Journal of Engineering Education, v39 n5 p527-538 2014
The Rural Engineering Department (Technical University of Madrid) ran three competence surveys during the 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 academic years and evaluated: (1) the competences gained by agricultural engineer's degree and agricultural technical engineer's degree students (360 respondents); (2) the competences demanded by agricultural employers (50 farming sector employers); (3) competences required by farming sector professionals and former students (70 professionals). The surveys show significant differences between what competences agricultural employers require of graduates and the competences they acquire during their agricultural engineering degree courses. Recruiters are looking for generic competences such as the ability to coordinate groups and place less importance on knowledge of engineering, biology, applied economics and legislation. Of the computer-related competences, those most in demand by sector professionals were related to the use of Microsoft Office/Excel (used by 79% of professionals). Surveys were used to redesign some subjects of the degrees.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Agricultural Engineering, Competence, Labor Needs, Minimum Competencies, Agricultural Education, Degree Requirements, Job Skills, Skill Analysis, Employer Attitudes, Employee Attitudes, Graduate Surveys, Alignment (Education), Occupational Surveys, Questionnaires, Student Surveys, Computer Literacy, Educational Needs, Education Work Relationship, College Outcomes Assessment
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Spain
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A