Abstract
To successfully rise to the challenges of contemporary physical and social contexts, and thus secure a more sustainable world, (process) engineering (under)graduates must learn to engage effectively with other professionals. This demands that we structure learning opportunities that make explicit with whom engineers need to engage and promote softer skills that form an essential foundation of effective professional engineering practice. As a step towards this, we present a workspace that provides a holistic perspective on the intersections of the various value chains that obtain in manufacturing and process industries; this framework helps to identify key partners from professions and stakeholder groups. We also show how this framework informs the discussion around employability and professional competence.