Ethics education in the consulting engineering environment: where do we start?

Area of Science:

• Engineering Ethics
• Professional Development

Background:

• Consulting engineering firms require ethics training programs.
• Existing engineering ethics literature primarily targets academic settings, offering limited guidance for professional environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the applicability of academic engineering ethics education for consulting engineers.
• To explore the ethical knowledge and attitudes of practicing consulting engineers and engineering students.

Main Methods:

• Reviewed existing literature on teaching engineering ethics in higher education.
• Conducted informal research on the ethical knowledge and attitudes of consulting engineers and engineering students.

Main Results:

• Found a significant gap in guidance for developing ethics training for consulting engineers.
• Identified unexpected findings regarding the ethical knowledge and attitudes of professionals and students.
• Observed that academic approaches to ethics may not be suitable for working professionals.

Conclusions:

• A simpler, more practical approach to ethics training is likely more effective for consulting engineers.
• Further research is needed to tailor ethics education to the specific needs of the consulting engineering profession.