Identifying Supports and Barriers in Engineering Students’ Processes Toward Career Attainment

Abstract Evidence shows that biomedical engineering students face unique challenges in entering the workforce compared to peers other majors. The purpose of this study is explore factors impacting undergraduate students’ career attainment, or acquisition employment a chosen field, and how experienced these their pathways towards post-graduate employment. By studying differences processes there an opportunity promote equity better support inclusion persistence women racially minoritized groups engineering, particularly readiness enter workforce. We sought answer two research questions: (RQ1) What contextual are identified by as supports barriers attainment field? (RQ2) How experiencing inequities toward attainment? conducted six focus with at large Midwestern University. Participants were purposefully sampled based on demographics from four disciplines: three preferred majors for transferring out our university, chemical materials science mechanical engineering. used social cognitive theory (SCCT) inform data collection analysis interpret findings. transcripts analyzed developing codebook containing theory-driven codes SCCT emergent data. five themes representing attainment: implications (1) interpersonal relationships; (2) institutional infrastructure; (3) academics; (4) identity; (5) out-of-class experiences. also found may act either barrier depending personal such demographics, personality, identity. nuance revealed study, factor be both barrier, presents universities provide more individualized preparedness resources recognize ways positionalities impact attainment.