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OCR for page 64
The Role of Government
Public policy directly influences continuing education. This chapter
will address legislative trends that are directly related to the shape and
direction of continuing education of the engineer in the United States.
Comparative national policies will then be reviewed to place U.S.
public policy in some perspective. Finally, the federal government's
role as a provider of continuing education will be examined.
Mandatory Requalification
Most nonindustry engineers in all states must be registered to prac-
tice their profession. Those in favor of continuing the proof of compe-
tence say their purpose is basically to ensure the quality of products and
services provided by engineers. Many engineers, however, detect in
such statements the first steps toward a profession totally regulated by
a government bureaucracy.
About 25 percent of the states have become involved in activities
focusing either on repeal of the industry exemption to engineering
registration laws, as in Montana, or on laws mandating continuing
education, as in Iowa. In addition, New Jersey and Wisconsin have
voluntary professional development programs for registered profes-
sional engineers wherein credits are granted for activities such as col-
lege-level and short courses, seminars, inventions, technical society
meetings, research papers, trade shows, and home study. These pro-
grams, together with the impetus for repeal of industry exemptions, are
64
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THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT
65
being backed by state affiliate societies of the National Society of Pro-
fessional Engineers [Zimmerman, 1978~.
Corresponding concern exists regarding the quality of continuing
education programs. The National University Extension Association is
on record as recommending that continuing education programs be
subject to the same review process extended to other accredited colle-
giate activities Burnett, 1979~. The Accreditation Board for Engineer-
ing and Technology and several technical societies have studied
accreditation or validation of continuing education programs for engi-
neers [Atiyeh and Young, 1983~.
As a result of the public debate in the early 1970s regarding the
competencies of various professions, the state of Iowa established a
legislative study committee. It was chartered to review a proposal that
provided for legislative review of all professional and occupational
examining boards and mandated continuing education as a condition of
license renewal. On the basis of favorable findings, an act was adopted
by the legislature and signed into law in July 1977.
In 1979 the Iowa State Board of Engineering Examiners [ISBEE)
adopted administrative rules defining qualifying programs, the contin-
uing education unit, and the annual requirements for license renewal.
The ISBEE does not, however, prequalify programs. So long as the
activity is determined by the engineer to contribute to his or her profes-
sional competence, and so long as it has a clear propose and objective
and is well organized, planned, and presented by qualified instructors,
it is deemed appropriate.
The ISBEE rules defined the professional development hour {PDH) as
the unit of continuing education. Initially, full-time practicing engi-
neers were required to complete 15 formal PDHs and 25 informal PDHs
annually. Nonpracticing engineers were required to complete 30 for-
mal and 25 informal PDHs. In 1983 the informal professional develop-
ment requirement and the distinction between full-time and
nonpracticing engineers were dropped.
A report documenting continuing education is prepared annually in
Iowa, as is a random audit of registrants. Results of the 1981 {first-year)
audit of 1,007 registrants showed the following:
· 75 percent noted that courses meeting their needs were available,
· 93 percent reported release time wholly or partially provided,
· 87 percent received full or partial reimbursement,
· 80 percent indicated a suitable opportunity to obtain continuing
education.
· 55 percent perceived or expected improvement in the profession,
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66
CONTINUING EDUCATION OF ENGINEERS
· 60 percent perceived no change in public perception of the credibil-
ity of professional registrants,
· 48 percent noted improvement in their professional capabilities
and 12 percent more expected improvements, and
I,
· 50 percent of industry respondents perceived no improvement in
competency.
Because of the enactment of the law and the initially more stringent
continuing education requirements for nonpracticing engineers, the
number of active registrants declined significantly, from 5,180 in 1980
to 4,356 in 1982. The same period saw a concomitant increase in the
number of inactive registrants, from 175 to 731. The 1983 report indi-
cates an apparent stabilization, with growth in the number of active
registrants to 4,676 and maintenance of 731 inactive registrants Ring,
1984J.
Comparative Policies
Mintzes, in his comparative study of technical personnel trends and
competitiveness in the United States, Japan, West Germany, and
France; 1982J, concluded that "industry, with government encourage-
ment, is more involved in upgrading obsolescent skills of older scien-
tific and technical personnel abroad than in the United States." France
and West Germany have laws requiring periodic formal retraining, and
the lifetime employment policies of the larger Japanese firms generate
the same result. Although considerable training takes place in the
United States, this country has no systematic policy for upgrading the
skills of older workers.
In general terms, political structure and tradition exert a heavy influ-
ence on program design. Socialist countries tend to be highly organized
and to develop programs financed directly or indirectly by the govern-
ment. One result is an additional focus on course quality. In capitalistic
countries, free markets lead to a focus on the analysis of needs.
National economic and development policies also influence the
growth and components of continuing education. Developing coun-
tries characteristically assign higher priorities to the continuing educa-
tion of teachers and technicians than to that of engineers. Moreover,
courses are structured "away from traditional disciplines toward areas
such as mining engineering, public works engineering, rural engineer-
ing, environmental engineering, and maintenance" Plus and Tones,
1978aJ.
Virtually every country of the world has programs that subsidize the
continuing education of engineers. The usual medium is employer
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THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT
67
subsidies, with instances of government financing and taxation in
other cases. The shift from personal to employer/government respon-
sibility is such that continuing education is increasingly perceived as a
"right," in the manner of undergraduate education.
France enacted legislation in 1971 that created a 1 percent payroll tax
for employers of more than 10 employees and established continuing
education rights. The French experience is of some interest in regard to
the domestic issue of mandatory continuing education and its impact
on participation in continuing education. Specifically, Klus and Jones
{ 1978a) report that the percentage of engineers and senior staff partici-
pating in continuing education in France decreased, from 19 percent in
1971 to 15 percent in 1975. Also, two surveys conducted by French
engineering associations in 1970 and 1973 indicated a constant rate t56
percent) of participation in continuing education. Klus and Jones con-
clude that "it is doubtful whether mandatory continuing education for
licensees would have any positive effect on continuing education."
Federal Programs In Continuing Education
Federal civil service regulations provide for support by federal agen-
cies of continuing professional development of engineers employed
directly by the federal government. Support under these regulations
falls into two major categories. One is support for federal employees'
attendance at professional meetings and participation in other func-
tions of professional and technical engineering societies. The other is
support for employees' participation in continuing education activi-
ties, including technical seminars, short courses, and degree-producing
courses. Continuing education programs include both those presented
by universities and technical engineering societies and those presented
by the federal agencies themselves.
The federal government's commitment of resources to continuing
education of its engineering employees is probably very substantial.
Unfortunately, however, the system is so decentralized that no reliable
data are available.
Findings
1. Currently, no governmental guidelines exist for accreditation or
evaluation of continuing education programs.
2. Mandatory continuing education programs may have an adverse
impact on renewals of professional registration.
3. It is doubtful that mandatory continuing education will have a
positive impact on enrollment in continuing education programs.
Representative terms from entire chapter:
mandatory continuing
