Abstracts – Browse Results
Click on the titles below to expand the information about each abstract.
Viewing 1 results ...
Constantinou, C (2023) Assessment of the civil engineering graduate training scheme as part of the professional certification process in Cyprus, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , Saint Louis University.
- Type: Thesis
- Keywords: certification; civil engineering; training; Cyprus; case study; focus group; civil engineer; graduate; professional; interview
- ISBN/ISSN:
- URL: https://www.proquest.com/docview/2851774490
- Abstract:
Certification of civil engineers assures professionals have the necessary knowledge and ability to practice the profession. In the Republic of Cyprus, the certifying body for civil engineers is the Cyprus Scientific and Technical Chamber (ΕΤΕΚ). ETEK’s training scheme for civil engineering graduates requires completion of a one-year work experience. However, there is no structure to or guidelines on how the one-year work experience should be fulfilled. This study aims to review the current scheme and examine its effectiveness on the professional development of civil engineers. The study was guided by two research questions: (1) How effective is the current graduate civil engineering training scheme, offered by the ETEK, in providing the necessary professional knowledge required for graduate civil engineers to practice the profession and (2) how does the effectiveness of a structured training curriculum compare with the current scheme in providing the professional knowledge required by graduate civil engineers who want to practice as professionals in Cyprus? Chapter 1 presents an introduction to the topic, stating the problem, purpose of the research, research questions and the limitations of the study. Chapter 2 presents an overview of the civil engineering profession in Cyprus, as well as ETEK’s training scheme and comparison with similar training schemes from other countries. Chapter 3 presents the research methodology, which followed a qualitative case study approach, based on two focus group interviews with certified supervising civil engineers and recent civil engineering trainees. Color coding and Microsoft Word were used to analyze and sort the data. Chapter 4 presents the nine themes which were identified from the data analysis and provides answers to the two research questions. Lastly, Chapter 5 presents the conclusions and recommendations of the research. The research sheds light on the issues pertaining to the current training scheme and can be used as a basis for future research on the topic, as well as a steppingstone for efforts in improving the current scheme by relevant institutions.