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Resilience of the
Work Force
Resilience in the engineering work force is desirable, but not readily
measured. By resilience we mean basically the ability to adapt
smoothly to new circumstances. One example would be effective and
reasonably rapid exploitation of new technologies. Another is efficient
accommodation to sudden- changes in demand for engineering work
entailed by a shift in emphasis from the development of space systems
to the revitalization of manufacturing facilities on a massive scale.
A classical instance of a true change in technology was the shift from
the vacuum- tube to the transistor and related solid-state devices over a
period of some 20 years. Typical crash programs include the Apollo
manned space program and the drive to improve the nation's energy
efficiency, sparked by the Arab oil embargo of the early 1970s. The
engineering community appears to have reacted with relative dispatch
in both cases.
On-the whole, it can be argued that in no instance since World War II
have deficiencies in the quantity or quality of the engineering effort
constrained the development of new, high-priority technologies for
technically based programs or the application of new or existing tech-
nologies; social, political, and economic factors have posed far more
serious constraints. It can also be argued, however, that the application
of the nation's most capable engineering resources to "priority" issues
may have diverted attention from other pressing engineering tasks.
Current U.S. industrial problems and reduced industrial growth sug-
gest a need for concurrent, quantum development rather than sequen
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32
ENGINEERING EMPLOYMENT CHARACTERISTICS
tial, incremental efforts. They suggest as well that a larger technical
resource would provide a stronger economy and would improve the
quality of life.
A degree of resilience is built into the practice of engineering. The
broad content of physical and engineering science in present undergrad-
uate curriculums permits mechanical engineers, for example, to han-
dle work in electrical engineering, or electrical engineers to become
aerospace engineers. This is especially true during an engineer's first
decade out of college.
A key to this form of resilience is the universality of physical and
mathematical principles. Advanced engineering programs involving
innovative products and processes must find leaders among those who
conceive or understand the development that is the impetus for the
work. Nevertheless, the relevance of fundamental scientific principles
can provide a basis for valuable contributions by engineers trained
during a prior state of art.
Companies must have the resilience to be able to cope at times with
sudden surges in demand for engineering work over finite periods.
Again, the universality of scientific and mathematical principles per-
mits the use of contract engineering firms or self-employed engineers
to augment in-house staff as required. The true extent of such contract
consulting support, however, is not accurately quantifiable.
Technological Obsolescence
An important element of resilience in engineering is technical cur-
rency. Both companies and individual engineers can become techno-
logically obsolescent. Engineering schools update their programs and
curriculums in response to academic and industrial R&D that produces
significant changes in technology, but the process is protracted and has
little immediate effect on the engineering work force. Thus, achieving
technical currency within a business is the responsibility of manage-
ment. Continuing education to upgrade the capabilities of personnel,
including technicians, can be effective, and accelerated programs are
sometimes used.
There is a tendency to equate obsolescence in individuals with age,
but this view is usually oversimplified. Depending on the discipline,
obsolescence can begin to overtake engineers as early as 10 years after
graduation. Those who wish to stay abreast of developments in their
fields can read the literature and generally have access to formal courses
or other programs offered by their employers, their professional soci-
eties, or educational institutions; however, there is reason for concern
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RESILIENCE OF THE WORK FORCE
33
that far too few participate in such programs. The critical factor is
motivation. Over time, engineers' interests can shift from purely tech-
nical matters to other important aspects of the technological enter-
prise. Up to the present time, many experienced engineers have served
industry extremely well in jobs that often did not require state-of-the-
art knowledge or that required it only in a narrow area. In today's fast-
paced, worldwide competition, however, it is increasingly recognized
that a technological edge is a prerequisite for the development of suc-
cessful products and services.
In view of their need to do continuously useful work today, techno-
logical obsolescence for engineers must be recognized as a problem.
Increasingly, it is management's job to provide an atmosphere that
motivates the individual engineer to remain up to date technically.
Computer-based tools continue to change the practice of engineering
dramatically and challenge the engineer's ability to remain current.
Representative terms from entire chapter:
technological obsolescence
