New Masters course outfits technical experts with leadership skills
Leicester engineers are driving skills development in industry with a new degree that equips aspiring leaders with the tools for effective management.
The Master of Engineering Management MEM allows people trained and working in engineering, as well as recent BSc/BEng graduates with no previous industrial experience, to acquire the business and management skills needed to successfully lead projects in industry.
Most undergraduate and postgraduate courses in engineering focus on creating technical experts and there are limited opportunities to develop valuable leadership and team working skills that are sought by employers.
While an MBA might be too broad in approach, the Master of Engineering Management MEM is specifically designed to train and develop future leaders of technological organisations and the unique challenges they face.
Martin Rhodes, Lecturer in Engineering Management at the University, said: “All engineers who wish to progress in a career in industry will have to lead activities or work packages that are part of larger projects. This means they will need the necessary leadership skills to deliver objectives efficiently. The soft skills or people skills, team leading for example, and the technical skills such as project management that enable success as a leader are therefore a critical part of an engineer’s toolkit and a key to employability.”