Shifting disciplinary perspectives and perceptions of chemical engineering work in the 21st century

Engineering education in the 21st century faces increasing pressure to meet the demands of complex and dynamic work environments. Well-cited literature on graduate inabilities to meet these demands highlight shortcomings in traditional curricula, such as the science-engineering disjuncture and the lack of explicit training in appropriate professional 'soft skills'. Chemical and process engineering students need to be equipped to adopt innovative approaches to resource processing, energy management and technological application in complex, ill-defined problem-solving professional contexts. This paper argues that a key factor in attracting and retaining students is to enable a shift in their perception of the field in both the curricular and professional spaces. The Legitimation Code Theory (LCT) analytical tool called the 'epistemic plane' is used to demonstrate the analysis of the theory-practice divide evident between the chemical engineering curriculum at a South African university and industrial sites. An initiative to enable final year Bachelor's students to visit a range of mineral processing sites as part of their research projects, demonstrates that exposure to personnel and industrial processes is effective in changing their perception of the field, and thus successfully contributes to potential retention and employment in a field necessary to advance sustainable development goals.