INTEGRATED CURRICULUM APPROACH IN DEVELOPING 21ST CENTURY INDUSTRY-READY GRADUATES

The experiences in designing an integrated curriculum for the Bachelor in Civil Engineering Technology (BCT) programme is presented in this paper.  The programme currently being offered in Politeknik Ungku Omar is adapting the innovative engineering education framework of Conceive-Design-Implement-Operate (CDIO) real-world systems with the objective to produce a new generation of engineering technologists. Precisely, the curriculum was designed using CDIO Standard 3 – Integrated Curriculum and CDIO Standard 7 - Integrated Learning Experiences focusing on providing integrated learning experiences for students to take an active role in their learning process. The 40-week structured on-the-job training or Work-based Learning (WBL) with partnership from the nation’s key-industry players and construction companies were discussed. The industry collaboration and partnership aim to provide a real-life work environment and facilitate structured and experiential learning for Year 4 students before graduation and eventually join the workforce. The paper concludes with an evaluation of the efficacy of the integrated curriculum measured through feedback received from the industry partners on students’ performance in the WBL and the graduate employment rate. Graduate employment has significantly improved and BCT graduates are well accepted by the industries.  The graduate has been recognized to be more industry-ready and confident in facing challenges in the construction industry. However, the interaction with recent graduates and industry partners indicates that there are still gaps in BCT graduates’ skill sets and actions to address these gaps are discussed.