The role of entrepreneurship in the personal and professional development of engineers and technologists for employability

Personal and professional development is now increasingly recognised as an essential component of the engineering undergraduate curriculum and continuous professional development levels across the life-long learning spectrum of an engineer's career. In this paper, the authors discuss the role that entrepreneurship can play within both the personal and professional development of engineers and technologists. It is shown that they need to deliver creativity, innovation and commercialisation of products for the benefit of society; to achieve this, a fundamental shift in mindset is needed away from traditional engineering thinking. The authors review the profile of personal and professional skills and knowledge that contributes to the mindset change. It is shown that mindset change and development can be achieved by requisite and relevant learning, as apposed to the view that entrepreneurs are born, not created. It is concluded that entrepreneurship, which is a sustainable and transferable attribute, is of essential value to the personal and professional development of engineers and technologists through their careers.