UNIVERSITY OF MAURITIUS

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
INDUSTRIAL TRAINING GUIDELINES

Introduction
Engineering students registered with the Faculty of Engineering of the University of
Mauritius are required to undertake industrial training for a period of 12 to 20 weeks
(depending on their respective degree programme) as part requirement for award of an
Engineering degree. Industrial Training is an integral part of the degree programmes
which enables students to undergo practical training in a relevant industry or company
wherein the students get professional and industrial work experience while they are
provided with opportunities to apply the theoretical knowledge acquired at the
University. Industrial Training prepares the students for employment in their chosen
discipline and gives them an insight of the job they would likely be doing after
completion of their bachelor degree.

Objectives of Industrial Training

The objectives of Industrial Training are as follows:
To expose students to engineering experience and knowledge as required in
industry.
To gain first-hand experience for working as an engineering professional
including the technical application of engineering methods.
To work with other engineering professionals.
To experience the discipline of working in a professional organization.
To develop technical, interpersonal and communication skills, both oral and
written.
To observe interactions of engineers with other professional groups.
To understand the role of the engineer and engineering in industry.
To understand engineering and professional ethics in industry.
To share the experience gained from the Industrial Training with peers during
lectures.
To gain exposure in engineering procedural work flow management and
implementation, and technical report writing related to engineering projects.
 To understand engineering management principles and apply these to ones own
work, as a member and leader in a team, to manage projects and in
multidisciplinary environments.
To engage in independent and life-long learning through well developed learning
skills.

Before Placement
It is important to observe the following procedure well before the industrial training
starts:
Check the date, time and place and to whom you should report.
Find out as much as you can about the firm and placement.
Arrive at least five minutes prior to the appointed time and report to the contact
point. Take the telephone number of the organisation just in case of unforeseen
circumstances.
Dress properly in a professional manner.
Be prepared to give details of your course and your interests.
Act naturally - be alert and keen but not over effusive.

On Placement
Whilst on placement, the students are subjected to the normal discipline of the
organisation. To obtain the maximum benefit from the placement, consideration of
the following points is important:
Be punctual and polite and professional.
Address staff on site politely and think before answering; dont interrupt - and do
not become familiar, smoke or swear.
Comply with all the regulations- especially those concerned with safety. Any
concerns about safety at work should be communicated to the site and university
supervisor without delay.
Ensure a thorough understanding of tasks assigned to you. The most common
criticism of students on placement is the reluctance to ask questions. Constructive
enquiries are welcome by supervisors avoid, though, spurious questions.
 If a problem arises, the first point of contact should be the site supervisor. In the
rare situation where students feel unable to talk directly to the supervisor, the
University supervisor should be contacted.
Avoid antagonising your supervisor and other employees within the organisation.
(Students should avoid the know-it-all syndrome, which occasionally develops
after the first placement. Different organisations may use different techniques to
accomplish the same task usually with very good reasons).
It is important to note again that it is student performance, which mainly
determines placement continuity. Supervisors are likely to accept students from
other institutions if student performance is unsatisfactory.

Industrial Placement report

The industrial training report shall consist of all activities/tasks you have done on
placement subject to the approval of your site supervisor. The Training Report should
be a concise but thorough technical record of the work you have done and the
observations you have made during the training. It should clearly show that you have
got a basic understanding of the subject, and how you benefit from the training. The
report should reflect all the skills you have develop be it technical and communication
along with the professional ethics.

The reports should be in the range of 35 45 pages; which may vary depending on
projects and work you undertook at the industrial placement. Thus should however be
discussed and approved by your University supervisor. The Industrial Training report
should consist of the following:
Title Page
Table of Contents
List of Tables, Figures, Plates/Schemes
Acknowledgements
Executive Summary
Introduction
Overview of the Industry/Organisation
Technical content (what you did and specific projects you have worked upon)
 Lessons learnt (Engineering Design, Individual, team and multidisciplinary work,
safety considerations, professional ethics)
Conclusions
Annexes

The following should be annexed in the report:

Daily or weekly log book
Certified Attendance sheet or a letter from site supervisor certifying your
attendance
Brief report of meeting between the site supervisor, University supervisor and
yourself. The report should be duly signed by all members present in the meeting.
Letter from site supervisor on your behavior during training and on the report

Report Submission
Ideally this report should be completed and checked by the site supervisor prior to
leaving the placement. This will allow the supervisor to assess the report, and
examine it for confidentiality, if any. Students must respect confidentiality and must
not include information regarded as sensitive in this respect by the institution. The
report should be submitted to the Industrial Training Coordinators after one week
from the completion of the training; however exact date will be communicated.

Visits
The University supervisor should be an academic staff of the university responsible
for the students industrial training. The first point of contact for the University
supervisor will be the site supervisor with whom the progress of the student will be
discussed. Any problem will normally be identified and, if necessary discussed with
the student who will be looked after by the supervisor. In some cases, student and
supervisor may then be seen together, to review any problems or requirements (of the
University) with respect to the placement. There should be at least one visit by the
University supervisor to the industry.

Learning Outcomes
After the completion of the industrial training, students should be able to:
 Apply scientific and engineering principles to systematically diagnose and solve
engineering problems in industry.
Demonstrate competence to perform design of broadly defined components,
systems, works, products or processes to meet desired needs normally within
applicable standards, codes of practice and legislation.
Demonstrate competence to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing,
with engineering audiences and any other concerned parties.
Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the impact of engineering activity
on the society, economy, industrial and physical environment, and address issues
by analysis and evaluation.
Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of engineering management principles
and apply these to ones own work, as a member and leader in a team, to manage
projects and in multidisciplinary environments.
Demonstrate competence to engage in independent and life-long learning through
well developed learning skills.
Comprehend and apply ethical principles and commit to professional ethics,
responsibilities and norms of engineering technology practice.

Insurance
Students on industrial training may be exposed to various risks and therefore the
insurance covering the students at the University is extended to the industrial
placement site. There may be, in some cases, another insurance from the industry
covering the students.