De Lange, G. (2000). The Identification of the Most Important Non-technical Skills Required by Entry Level Engineering Students When They Assume Employment. Journal of Cooperative Education and Internships, 35(2-3), 21-32.
Successful cooperative education programs depend on a harmonious relationship of mutual benefit between employers, students and educational institutions. Institutions therefore need to continually examine what skills employers consider to be important with regard to the skills required by students first entering the workplace. The study was aimed at making a contribution toward cooperative education programs in engineering at technikons. Research revealed a skills gap between the skill students acquire in their formal study and what employers require. The skills that are not adequately addressed are non-technical skills. The study identified which of these skills employers considered to be the most important. It is recommended that the identified non-technical skills by incorporated into the formal engineering programs of students before they undergo experiential training in the workplace.