This document discusses the importance of lifelong learning and continuing engineering education for engineers. It defines lifelong learning as the voluntary pursuit of knowledge for personal or professional reasons. Continuing engineering education helps engineers keep their skills and knowledge current with rapid technological changes. It maintains high quality practice and professional licensing. Challenges include technology changing quickly and costs of hands-on learning. Avenues for continuing education include degrees, certificates, short courses, conferences, webinars and tools like online learning. Professional organizations like IEM and IEEE provide many educational opportunities. Successful lifelong learning requires motivation and ability to self-direct learning. The most important opportunities are through challenging work and learning from others.

1. Continuing Engineering Education
through Lifelong Learning
By
Engr. Dr. B.Balamuralithara

2. Outline:
• Introduction
• Lifelong Learning
• Continuing Engineering Education (CEE)
• Importance of CEE
• Challenges of CEE
• CEE Avenues & Tools
• IEM & IEEE
• Successful Lifelong Learning
• Lifelong Learning at Work
• Conclusion

3. Introduction
• Education is a lifelong process
• To keep abreast of the rapid development & changes in technology.
• Education has no limits and boundaries.
• Being an ENGINEER is an enormous responsibility.
• Engineers construct & design national infrastructure, develop life
saving medical equipment and responsible for millions of
technological innovations.
• Consciously and unconsciously, an average person in the world
entrusts his/her life and well being to engineers many times each
day.

4. Lifelong learning (LLL)
• Lifelong learning is the lifelong, life-wide, voluntary and self
motivated pursuit of knowledge for either personal or
professional reason.
• Do not QUIT the education process after graduate.
• LLL is good for both personal development and professional
development.
• Electrical & Electronics (EE) Engineering technological
development is moving very fast.
• Today’s “Hot-Tech topics” will be in DUST-BIN tomorrow.

5. Lifelong Learning – cont’
• Keep your EE knowledge and skills current; to progress in your job.
• European Commission defined LLL as “all learning activity
undertaken throughout life, with the aim of improved knowledge,
skills and competence, within a personal, civic, social and/or
employment related perspective”.
• How we can improve and sharpen our EE tools once we are in full
time job?
Continuing Engineering Education through Lifelong Learning

6. Continuing Engineering Education (CEE)
• CEE is important in professional development.
• To maintain high quality practice.
• CEE refers as specialized training taken by practicing engineers who need both
technical and non technical knowledge and also the skills.
• Working engineers involved actively in continuing engineering education
nowadays due to:
a. The amount of continuing education offered at the workplace and by other providers is
increasing.
b. Professional institution plays an active role and also as an important provider, with an
increasing number of programmes being offered through Continuing Professional
Development (CPD) activities.
c. More universities are offering post graduate degree programmes in part time basis.
d. CPD is being used to regulate professional’ practice.

7. CEE – cont’
• In Malaysia, the number of CEE courses for working engineers is
increasing.
• The courses are generally shorter in duration.
• Focused more on the competency and skills.
• Those courses are targeted for specific professional applications are
typically designed for fast learning and rapid adaptation.
• There are engineers who continue their Postgraduate studies –
Masters and PhD – more focused on theoretical aspects and longer
in duration.
• CPD points system – Board of Engineers Malaysia (BEM)- to
maintain Professional Engineer (PE) license.

8. Importance of CEE
a. Young engineers who just graduated need to get initial training in the new
field which they have indulged. Trainings are important for them to learn new
technologies which are involved in their job. On the other hand, experienced
engineers may need training if they moved to a new area of technology or
field of engineering.
b. Help engineers to keep up with advancements in related engineering field
and non technical trainings such as communications skills, presentation skills
and etc. could help the engineers to improve their non technical abilities.
c. CEE helps engineers to maintain the professional license (PE). The license is
vital for many governments and companies to certify the designs have been
reviewed by certified engineer.
• CEE is one of the most pivotal components for professional development among
engineers.

9. Challenges of CEE
There are some challenges which are unique to CEE. The challenges
are as following:
a. Rapid changes in technology that make some of the information
become obsolete very fast.
b. Engineering education involves both theoretical and practical
aspects in which it requires the educational service provider to
cater for both aspects to teach engineers the latest development
of the subject matter where high cost could incur to provide the
services since it requires costly equipment for hands on learning.
c. New technology is being developed all around the world and due
to the globalization, it is not sufficient to learn the technology
advancements in one’s own country. The engineers are also need to
be familiar with the latest development around the globe.

10. CEE Avenues

11. Degrees
Postgraduate degree programmes – Masters and PhD are suitable for
working engineers to gain mastery in focus areas.
Certificates
Certificate programmes are designed for practicing engineers who are
prefer to get professional certification related to their field of work .
Short Courses
Short courses offer an overview of the subject matter where it will be
conducted for a few hours to a few days. These courses often involve
active participation for the participants which it involves both theoretical
and practical aspects.

12. Tutorial
Tutorials help the engineers to assimilate the information in a short
duration of time, usually a day or less. Tutorials are delivered via talks,
group discussion in a class and also online.
Conferences
Conferences are good platform for lifelong learning. A conference includes
various technical sessions which consists of presentations on research
conducted and also keynote speech which involves specialized guest
speakers from other countries to deliver their viewpoint on the current
development in field of their expertise. Conference is a platform to share
and gain new knowledge among the engineers from all over the world.
Webinars
Webinars is acronym for Web based Seminar. It takes place online where
the participants can interact with submitting their questions and discuss via
forum. Webinars are often archived with either free or controlled access.

13. CEE Tools

14. Distance Education
Distance education, lectures are videotaped and either mailed to
students on DVDs or posted online on a secure Web site.
Some offerings are also available in real time, but archived
lectures are more popular as they do not impose any viewing
restrictions on students
Open Courseware
Open courseware is courseware offered at no cost to participants
by academic institutions. Open courseware contains a great deal
of material for learning for someone who is not interested
in earning credits.

15. Self Paced Courses
To be more accommodating of the busy schedule of industry
professionals.
These courses have minimum and maximum time limits for completing the
course requirements, thus offering additional flexibility.
Most material available through the Internet allows for self paced
learning.
Web and Online Media
On the Internet, offerings range from the organized
groups (professional societies, vendors, user groups, and etc.)
More and more references in articles point to online resources for learning.
It is, however, important to be discriminating and make
use of credible resources while taking advantage of Web based
information.

16. Search Engines
The gateway to many online learning offerings is the
ubiquitous Web search engine. Not all search pages offer
the same results. Therefore, surfing through multiple
sites is the best approach.
Software Tools and Online Labs
Some of EE aspects are very complex phenomena
that are often difficult to visualize.
Software tools can help both novices and advanced users
understand the functions of the systems.

17. IEM & IEEE
Institution of Engineers, Malaysia (IEM)
• IEM established in 1959.
• BEM implemented the policy of CPD to further enhance
professionalism among Engineers through Lifelong learning.
• IEM provides the platform for CPD.
• “Ir.” need CPD to keep their licensure current.
• CPD further improve and broaden the knowledge and skills of
engineers in performing their duties.

18. IEM & IEEE – cont’
• Key benefits of CPD:
- Achieving goals efficiently
- Keeping pace with changing technology
- Develop and maintaining the skills
- Progress into new roles & sectors
- Better serve the community
• IEM educational opportunities:
- Talks - Workshops - Trainings
- Visits - Library - Conferences

19. IEM & IEEE – cont’
Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers ( IEEE)
• IEEE is the main professional society of electrical engineers.
• IEEE is a GLOBAL institutions.
• IEEE is a good vehicle for EE engineers to maintain and
upgrading his/her professional knowledge and competence.
• IEEE educational opportunities:
- Books - Conferences - Journals - Digital Library
- Trainings - Newsletter - Magazines - Webinars

20. Successful Lifelong Learning (LLL)
• LLL is an issue of importance for engineers around the
world.
• Most important attribute for LLL is the readiness for self-
directed learning.
• Successful LLL has 2 aspects:
- Motivation “ will do”
- Ability “ can do”

21. Successful LLL – cont’
Factors that contribute significantly to the ability to
engage successfully in LLL through self-directed
learning:
 Openness to learning opportunities.
 Self concept as an effective leaner.
 Initiative and Independence in learning.
 Responsible for one’s own learning.
 Creativity
 LOVE to LEARN

22. Lifelong Learning at Work
• Most important opportunity for learning is in your job.
• How we can engage in LLL while working at busy
schedule:
 Seek for challenging assignments.
- Challenging assignments/ projects not only exciting, it
also provides great learning opportunities.
 Seek out for the Successful Engineers in your company.
- Observe their approach and method;
- Discuss your work with them and seek their advice.

23.  Reading
- Reading is key to expanding your technical
knowledge; maintain a list of articles, papers and
books that you want to refer.
- Internet can be a good resource for reading and
research. Good and useful websites, web based
tutorials and webinars.
 Play Well with Others
- Technical knowledge and skills are paramount, at
same time, people skills are important too.

24. Conclusion
• LLL provides rewards through sheer joy of learning and good
insurance for survival in an ever competitive world.
• The most important key objective of CEE is ensuring the
engineers to have sufficient knowledge and skills in their field
of profession that keep on changing with technological
advancement.
• An engineer is responsible to find CEE opportunities and
options that widely available to retain and improve his/her
professional competency.
• By continually striving to learn new things, you will benefit.

25. Contact :
E-mail: balab@utar.edu.my