Practical approaches to implement graduate attributes in engineering faculties

The International Engineering Alliance has developed graduate attributes to improve the employability of engineering graduates and to reduce the gap between academic work and practice. The three main accords that form part of this international alliance are the Washington Accord, the Sydney Accord, and the Dublin Accord. All countries that belong to these accords have developed graduate attributes for accreditation purposes. Embedding graduate attributes into the curriculum can be complex and would depend on academic staff involvement. Hence, the necessity to determine how best graduate attributes can be developed and give clarity about assessment strategies. Engineering faculties need to consider developing clear processes that clarify the programme outcomes assessment in the context of graduate attributes. This paper provides an overview of some practical approaches that could be used for the development of graduate attribute assessments.