Evaluating the Implementation of Curriculum Development for Sustainable Design in Electrical Services Engineering

The professional role of electrical services engineers is evolving and changing to meet the needs of industry, both national and internationally. The current demands throughout the built environment are primarily driven by European Directives and Government policies pertaining to sustainable design, energy reduction and energy efficiency. Thus, it is essential that Ireland’s Higher Education Institutions meet these challenges head on by developing diverse programmes which have sustainability at the core of curriculum design. Moreover, programmes of this nature will ensure that young engineers of the future command key transferable skills and enhance their lifelong learning which is required for today’s competitive labour market. What will the engineers of the future look like – would they be recognisable from today? This pedagogical research intends to examine the development and restructuring of an existing curriculum for a level 7 degree in Sustainable Design in Electrical Services Engineering in Ireland. The programme maintains the core learning outcomes, which have been reviewed by an accreditation body, while providing engineering graduates with a host of diverse multidisciplinary skills. This curriculum development has been tailored to meet the needs of industry, but more importantly the needs and expectations of future students. How does a programme ensure students are employable? This paper offers a unique insight into engineering education as both authors are graduates of the aforementioned programme and have subsequently returned to lecture on the programme. Moreover, they have been heavily involved in the curriculum development.