Fostering Flexibility in the Engineering Work Force (1990) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
The Relevance of Career-Long Education to Creating and Maintaining an Adaptable Work Force
The Relevance of Career-Long Education to Creating and Maintaining an Adaptable Work Force
Pages 53-72
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 53... ...
Career-long competency is the ability of an engineer to remain competitive, productive, and creative as a peer-respected member of the engineering profession through the acquisition and application of the new knowledge, skills, and experience that a changing profession demands. Continuous professional development is activity that upgrades, expands, and renews the competence of an engineer throughout a professional career, enabling him/her to adapt to changing times while remaining an active contnbut=.
|
From page 54... ...
Of these tasks, the management of people may be the task most critical to a business's success and the one hardest to assess, evaluate, and plan for in a systematic way. In 1987 and 1988, the intensely volatile marketplace and the pressure on companies to turn out quality products ahead of their competitors and at a lower price to the consumer made the technical training and updating of engineering professionals He "hot topic" on the national engineering agenda, since the company dial employs the most 54
|
From page 55... ...
.3 Briefly, the demographic issues of concern to the eng~neenng community are these: The county is experiencing a "baby bust," a decline in the college-aged population; -~or a chronological review of engineering education reports since 1918, see Appendix A, compiled by Daryl Chubin for Higher Education for Science and Engineering: A Background Paper, Washington, D.C.: Congress of the United States, Office of Technology Assessment, March 1989. 3Three-quarters of the current work force win be employed in the year 2,000; within engineering and engineenng-related activities alone, that number represents approximately 2,16S,000 people and a sizable economic investment in human resources.
|
From page 56... ...
For example, the National Science Foundation (NSI;) projected in 1982 that Me demand for electrical and aeronautical engineers and for computer specialists could exceed Me supply of graduates in Nose fields by as much as 30 percent over the next 5 years, while at the same time there would be significantly fewer openings for biologists, chemists, geologists, physicists, mathematicians, chemical, civil and mechanical engineers than there would be trained degree-holders.4 Thus, it is individual disciplines, especially Nose linked with high grown or defense-~ented ~ndusmes, Mat could experience personnel problems In Me future not "science and engineenng" as a whole.
|
From page 57... ...
, however, where known demographic trends exert considerable influence. An Exploration of the Issues The following is a synthesis of many of the questions and issues raised by the engineering community over He last few years In respect to career-Ion" education for engineering professionals.
|
From page 58... ...
. reading technical reports and journal articles; university extension short-courses and seminars; national and international conferences and meetings; external professional programs leading to a certificate; external academic degree programs leading to Me Ph.D.; and external academic degree programs leading to the master's degree.
|
From page 59... ...
Graduate School, One Aspect of Continuing Education Industry recruiters who compete for top engineering graduates emphasize tuitionreimbursed degree programs as a benefit of employment. The high cost of a graduate education and the lack of enough funding to support large numbers of graduate students in research associate positions makes these company-sponsored degree programs very attractive to B.S.
|
From page 60... ...
Although Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Purdue University, the University of Washington, Stanford University, and Chico State University are just a few schools out of dozens Mat use television to transmit Weir engineering degree programs to local industry, the provider Mat offers Me most promise for the funme is she National Technological University, a consortium of 29 universities offering a number of 6HR Section 127 is Me most recent proposal to challenge the value and effectiveness of company-fundod engineering education programs. This legislation, approved until the end of 1991, imposes a tax to the consumer the individual engineer-on company-paid-for education programs.
|
From page 61... ...
degree versus M.S. degree and entry into the work force as an engineering professional raises the issue of the value of the Master of Engineering degree and the Doctor of Engineering degree, with their emphasis on engineering practice, and whether these degrees are more appropriately suited to engineers in industry than are the Master and Doctor of Science degrees, which may be more research-miented.8 Looking to the Future Even as rapid improvements are being made in tile design and application of new technologies, the depth of engineering disciplines in the universities is increasing, broadening the knowledge base that engineers of the future win have to have to practice their profession; this in turn win add to the number of knowledge elements they will need to keep current.
|
From page 62... ...
The question of incentives and support systems to encourage new learning is crucial and has to be explored In depth. The Current Canon While current education and training needs of composes appear to be met by the variety of educational providers in the marketplace, many responsible leaders within the engineering community are concerned about dhe lack of leadership in dhis field.
|
From page 63... ...
Mid-line and project managers are often cited as frequent obstacles to the professional development of technical staff. Some companies find that staff education and training programs succeed when managers enroll as participates and, additionally, when managers are rewarded by how well they develop their own people.
|
From page 64... ...
Are there do-able modifications/additions/changes to current undergraduate engineering programs and tracks that might improve a young engineer's ability to adapt to the changing professional demands of the workplace plus increase his/her worth in a fast-chang~ng, technolog~caDy sophisticated marketplace? Might it be of mutual benefit for professional schools to establish a strong tie to their alumni by offering summer intensives, special courses, or even a newsletter that helps guide them as they prepare to move into new career paths?
|
From page 65... ...
Can Engineers Learn to Adapt to Meet Changing Engineering Employment Needs? Today's engineers need to assume responsibility for their own professional development, if they are to be adequately prepared for the complex challenges of tomorrow's workplace.
|
From page 66... ...
For example, the number of professional papers in chemical engineering journals today nearly doubles the number of papers published in journals in the l950s. Some chemical engineers estimate that discoveries in their field are moving so rapidly that it won't be long before the knowledge base of a chemical engineer begins to erode six months after graduation from college!
|
From page 67... ...
and funded by the Carnegie Foundation. It urged return to fundamentals and unify fragmenting curricula; merge theory and practice in coursework; introduce "real work," including "values and costs," into teaching engineering problem solving; retain shop experience, laboratory, industrial training, cooperative and summer work in curriculum; English mastery; link technology to its human and social setting; closer university-industry linkage, especially In research, to improve productivity and thereby national weD-being; develop discipline for work and "lifelong" study; and select faculty based on teaching ability and work experience, not just research excellence.
|
From page 68... ...
for engineers; provide special programs for gifted students; expand technical institutes; and retain faculty. Engineers loins council response to interim ASEE Goals of Engineering Edwanon Report: integrate teaching of engineering practice into its social context; focus on fun~nentals, not current information; do not standardize curricula or accreditation; increase student-faculty interaction; promote lifetime learning; and expand the role of engineering professional societies in linking education to state-of-the-art practices.
|
From page 69... ...
Consensus recommendations: update undergraduate engineering education with mathematics concentration In probability, statistics, and numerical analysis; Moe breadth in basic sciences expand humanities, social sciences, and communication skills; focus on design including socioeconomic factors; intensify use of computers; introduce interdisciplinary coursework in real-world problem contexts; set admission standards that obviate need for remediation; strengthen faculty, requiring industrial experience and teaching effectiveness for tenure; continuing education; advisory committee of practicing engineers for each engineering education unit; raise fellowship stipends to one-half industry starting salary to attract U.S. graduate students; tighten the link of en~neenng education to engineering practice; encourage longer than Year cumcula but do not mandate them; and increase role for engineers vis-a-vis executives, economists, and ..
|
From page 70... ...
recommended: promote U.S. citizen graduate study by Using fellowship stipends to one-half industry starting salary; fund large scale facilities improvement and maintenance; retain Ph.D.
|
From page 71... ...
ESAP is the logical starting point for professional development to help engineers advance their career objectives. ESAP win address areas where: - there is a rapidly changing technology, new career opportunities appear frequently, there is interest expressed by many employers, Here is a readily identifiable knowledge base, and there are many recognized experts who can speak for the field.
|
From page 72... ...
identify appropriate technical fields for ESAP development identify successful incumbents for FSKI seminar panel and reviewer groups identify TEST writers identify TEST takers for test vali~.aon support volunteers in their preparation of ESAP components dethrone useful lifetime of the FSK] and TEST publish FSKI, TEST, GUIDANCE INFORMATION in Society publications promote programs to members.
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.