The training of postgraduate engineers

A Government White Paper in 1993, and an Office of Science and Technology consultative document in 1994, highlighted the need to “improve the quality and breadth of research training and to improve the match with the needs of potential employers”. The subsequent initiatives from the Research Councils to develop Research Master´s (M.Res) courses led to universities starting formal training programmes. The Total Technology Dept. at UMIST has always provided training for total technology students. This experience led to the design of a Graduate Support Programme (GRASP), which has the potential to teach all research students at UMIST the skills that they will need for their research, as well as preparing them for subsequent careers. Initial programmes for first year and final year PhD students were run in 1994/95, with 150 students registered on each. The 1995/96 programmes have been expanded so that they are available to all 350 first year research students, and to all final year students. The authors discuss the identification of training needs, design of a training programme, and monitoring and encouraging attendance on GRASP programmes