Learning the Culture of the Workplace in an Engineering Technology Program

Engineering Technology programs are designed to provide students with the technical skills and critical thinking abilities to become successful professionals. In today’s evolving market, the success of our graduates will depend on their ability to solve not only the current problems of their field, but to anticipate their future needs. Employers demand professionals with broad knowledge, not limited to technical issues. If a few years ago the basic mission of the graduates from Engineering Technology programs was the repairing and maintenance of equipment, today their role has evolved into being involved in technology management. These requirements from industry reflect in academia, as the survival of Engineering Technology programs is closely related to producing graduates that can satisfy what is required from industry. This paper presents approaches to bring industry closer to the students. The main goal of these activities is to teach the students the culture of the workplace. We want to address issues such as the importance of professionalism, the importance of writing, the need for communication with other professionals, etc., beyond the merely technical contents that are the basis for their future careers. This knowledge makes them to become more successful in their professional careers.