Power-Up: A Model for Increasing Power Engineering Career Readiness at Minority-Serving Institutions

Abstract

Previous research on career readiness of engineering college students has mainly been focusing on profession required competencies. For engineers, career readiness contains a more fundamental, attitudinal domain that has not been explored thoroughly. The goal of this work in progress is to examine the changes in student attitudes toward careers in the power industry due to curriculum improvement made to bridge the gap between classroom and industry. A novel instructional design, the Power-Up Model, is proposed and now being implemented, which is expected to significantly increase student awareness of, efficacy in, and commitment to a career as a power engineer. The design of this model is based on the authors' experience in engineering education at minority-serving institutions. It holds promise to sustainably develop a diverse and well-prepared generation of power engineers and ultimately improve the nation's STEM workforce diversity.