Upskilling Engineers For Freelancing – Economic And Social Dynamics

Naveed ur Rehman, Rehan Masood, Max Yap

http://doi.org/10.34074/sitj.13102

Abstract "Engineering professionals employed in the civil, mechanical and electrical sectors are less likely to be involved in entrepreneurship as a career path, mainly due to lack of formal education in this area. This paper investigates the current trends in freelancing in engineering disciplines. Data relating to projects posted in popular freelancing marketplaces over the last 10 years (2009-2019) were collected using a semi-automated web scraping technique and were analyzed quantitatively via computer packages. The range of engineering projects, types of payment mechanisms, and the main skills required for such projects were identified. This study will improve the understanding of educators and institutions aiming to develop and/or upgrade engineering curricula in response to the high demand for freelancing projects."