Engineering education issues in the UK

What are the current engineering education issues in the UK? This paper presents the results of a major consultation exercise carried out by the LTSN Engineering centre during the early part of 2001. In particular, the paper compares the opinions of academia and industry. LTSN Engineering is the national engineering subject centre of the UK Learning and Teaching Support Network, providing subject based support to promote high quality learning and teaching to all UK engineering academics. The centre has high visibility within the engineering community and provides information, resources and advice on good practices and innovations in learning and teaching, and a pro-active and responsive service to the needs of the community. In order to support this activity effectively the UK funding bodies have committed over eight million pounds annually to establish the LTSN comprising 24 subject-based centres and a generic centre. This subject-focused network has been established in recognition that for many in higher education, most networking and exchange of learning and teaching practice and innovation takes place within the subject discipline.