There is a persistent dialogue among academic and industrial stakeholders regarding the ability of students to transition into fall-time engineering positions in industry [2, 3]. Engineering educators and professionals have contributed to the conversation by suggesting the need for broader collaborations between academia and industry[4, 5]. Academic-industry partnerships have resulted and have led to significant benefits for both academic and industry stakeholders. Academia cites gaining funds to support research, testing theory in empirical environments, exposure to industry problems and expertise, and establishing future employment connections for students as benefits[6-8]. Industry members cite access to new research techniques, development of new products and patents, generating knowledge and advancing technology by using faculty and student expertise, and engaging with potential employees [9-11]. Current literature offers evidence that partnerships generate benefits at both the macro level (organization) as well as at the micro level (individual student/employee). Yet there appears to be some conflict with research and practice as evidenced by continued conversations about career readiness of graduates, debate about the skills required for early career success, and high attrition rates of early career engineers in the first five years in the engineering workforce [12-14]. We illuminate this contrast to suggest that academic and industry partners who benefit from establishing future employment connections for students can be more strategic in the design of partnerships to address these issues.
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