Understanding the
Educational and
Career Pathways
of Engineers

Committee on Understanding the Engineering Education-Workforce Continuum

A Consensus Study Report of the

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
Washington, DC
www.nap.edu

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS 500 Fifth Street, NW Washington, DC 20001

This activity was supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. (1344190). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-309-48560-9
International Standard Book Number-10: 0-309-48560-6
Digital Object Identifier: https://doi.org/10.17226/25284

Additional copies of this publication are available for sale from the National Academies Press, 500 Fifth Street, NW, Keck 360, Washington, DC 20001; (800) 624-6242 or (202) 334-3313; www.nap.edu.

Copyright 2018 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States of America

Suggested citation: National Academy of Engineering. 2018. Understanding the Educational and Career Pathways of Engineers. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: https://doi.org/10.17226/25284.

COMMITTEE ON UNDERSTANDING THE ENGINEERING EDUCATION-WORKFORCE CONTINUUM

Committee Members

JEAN-LOU CHAMEAU (NAE), chair, President Emeritus, California Institute of Technology

RODNEY C. ADKINS (NAE), vice chair, President, 3RAM Group, LLC

ERIC DUCHARME (NAE), General Manager, Advanced Technology Operation, GE Aviation

NADYA A. FOUAD, Distinguished Professor and Mary and Ted Kellner Endowed Chair of Educational Psychology, Counseling Psychology, and School and Community Counseling, School of Education, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee

RICHARD B. FREEMAN, Herbert Ascherman Professor of Economics, Harvard University

JENNIFER HUNT, James Cullen Chair in Economics and Professor of Economics, Rutgers University

AMY JAVERNICK-WILL, Nicholas R. and Nancy D. Petry Professor in Construction Engineering and Management, University of Colorado Boulder

JULIA LANE, Professor, Wagner School and Center for Urban Science and Progress, Provostial Fellow for Innovation Analytics, and Senior Fellow in the GovLab, New York University

GARY S. MAY (NAE), Chancellor, University of California, Davis

RICHARD K. MILLER (NAE), President and Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering

DAVID NAGEL, Executive Vice President (retired), BP America, Inc.

SHERI D. SHEPPARD, Bass University Fellow in Undergraduate Education, Richard Weiland Professor of Mechanical Engineering, and Associate Chair for Undergraduate Curriculum, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University

NICOLE SMITH, Research Professor and Chief Economist, Center on Education and the Workforce, Georgetown University

National Academy of Engineering Project Staff

PROCTOR P. REID, Study Director and Program Office Director (until June 2018)

FRAZIER BENYA, Program Officer (until October 2017)

ELIZABETH T. CADY, Program Officer

LANCE A. DAVIS, Executive Officer (retired) (until March 2016)

CATHERINE DIDION, Senior Program Officer (until January 2016)

CAMERON H. FLETCHER, Senior Editor

MICHAEL HOLZER, Senior Program Assistant (since May 2017)

JASON WILLIAMS, Senior Financial Associate (until May 2017)

This page intentionally left blank.

Acknowledgments

This Consensus Study Report represents the work of many individuals, especially those who served on the committee and participated in the committee’s open sessions. The first thanks are to the committee members for their deep knowledge and contributions to the study.

The committee employed several consultants who collected and analyzed data and contributed commissioned papers that appear in the appendices. Thanks go to Donna K. Ginther (University of Kansas), Shulamit Kahn (Boston University), Debbie Hughes, Jason Owen-Smith (University of Michigan), Treva Stack, David Stevens, Isabel Cárdenas-Navia (Alta Vision Consulting), Sylvia Hurtado (University of California, Los Angeles), Bryce E. Hughes (Montana State University), M. Kevin Eagan (University of California, Los Angeles), and Robert Paul (University of Washington). Lynette Osborne evaluated the workshop and other elements of the project. Finally, Alexandra Lockwood provided invaluable support during the data-gathering and writing phases.

The committee benefited from presentations by several individuals who participated in our fact-finding workshop in November 2014. In addition to committee members and consultants, presenters were Samantha Brunhaver (Arizona State University), Jeri L. Buchholz (NASA), Dianne Chong (The Boeing Company), Constance J. Pritchard (The Pritchard Group), Darryll Pines (University of Maryland), Michael McKenzie (George Washington University), Steven Brown (Loyola University Chicago), Andrew Gillen (American Institutes for Research), Larry Bucciarelli (MIT), David Knight (Virginia Tech), and Hal Salzman (Rutgers University).

This report was reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making its published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. We thank the following individuals for their review of this report:

Monitor:

Reviewers:

Although the reviewers listed above provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions or recommendations, nor did they see the final draft of the report before its release. The review of this report was overseen by Paul R. Gray (NAE), professor, vice chancellor, and provost emeritus, University of California, Berkeley. He was responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content of this report rests entirely with the authoring committee and the institution.

Thanks are also due to the project staff: Proctor Reid, Frazier Benya, Elizabeth Cady, Catherine Didion, Lance Davis, Cameron Fletcher, Michael Holzer, and Jason Williams. Special thanks go to the late Proctor Reid, who died suddenly in June 2018. Proctor planned and oversaw the entire effort and was instrumental in helping build consensus on the most salient topics of the study. In the final phase of the project he worked tirelessly on the completion of the report, often on weekends, and ensured that diverse opinions were incorporated while preserving the essence and major conclusions of the report. We will always remember him as a thoughtful and kind human being and miss him as a valued colleague and friend.

This page intentionally left blank.

Contents

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

INTRODUCTION

Reference

1 CHARACTERISTICS OF ENGINEERS AND THE ENGINEERING WORKFORCE

Defining, Measuring, and Characterizing the Engineering Labor Force

Work Activities of Employed Engineers

Career Pathways of Engineering Graduates

The Economic Returns to an Engineering Degree

Dynamics of the Engineering Labor Market

Major Forces Shaping Demand for Engineering Labor and Skills

Summary Observations

References

2 CHALLENGES FOR ENGINEERING EDUCATION

New Skills and Knowledge for Engineers

Approaches to Develop New Skills for Engineers

Understanding the Implications of Growing Enrollment of Foreign-Born Students on Temporary Visas

Summary Observations

References

3 FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE THE DECISION MAKING OF ENGINEERING STUDENTS AND GRADUATES

Social Cognitive Career Theory

Factors That Influence Initial Choice of an Engineering Major

Factors That Influence College Engineering Studies

Preparing to Transition to the Workforce

Factors That Influence Postgraduate Decisions and Actions

Factors That Influence Retention in Engineering Occupations

Summary Observations, Implications, and Suggested Interventions

Future Directions

References

4 MAJOR FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Engineers Use Diverse Skills in a Variety of Occupations and Industries

Engineering Has a Persistent Diversity Challenge

The Engineering Community Needs to Better Communicate to Diverse Populations the Opportunities Afforded by an Engineering Degree

Engineering Education Must Continuously Adapt

Research Is Needed to Understand the Effects of Foreign-Born Students with Temporary Visas on US Engineering Education

Data Gaps Hinder Understanding of Engineering Educational and Career Pathways

Conclusion

APPENDIXES

A The Engineering Education-Workforce Continuum

B Glossary of Engineering Fields

C Examining Postsecondary and Postcollege Pathways of Engineering Students Who Start at Four-Year Colleges and Universities

D Cobweb Model of the Engineering Labor Market

E Advancing Our Understanding of Engineering Education Pathways, Employment Dynamics, and Economic Impact Through the Innovative Use of Administrative Data

F Workshop Program

G Biographies of Committee Members

Boxes, Figures, and Tables

BOXES

I-1 The Greatest Engineering Achievements of the 20th Century

I-2 National Academy of Engineering Study Committee on Understanding the Engineering Education to Workforce Continuum Statement of Task

1-1 Engineering Technicians and Engineering Technologists

1-2 Growth in Engineering Degrees Awarded Annually

1-3 Entrepreneurship as a Career Option

1-4 The Promise of Administrative Data

1-5 Impact of Immigration of Engineers on US Economic Growth

2-1 Google’s Search Criteria for New Hires

3-1 Pool of High School Students Who Might Enroll in Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Programs

FIGURES

1-B1 Number of bachelor’s degrees awarded annually in engineering and related fields, 2000–2013

1-1 Primary pathways in engineering education

1-2 Percentage of bachelor’s degrees awarded in engineering disciplines in 2000, 2006, and 2013

1-3 Number of bachelor’s degrees awarded annually by engineering discipline, 2000–2013

1-4 Percentage of engineering bachelor’s degree holders over the age of 25 who earned an additional degree beyond the bachelor’s, by degree level and area of degree

1-5 Percentage of women by highest degree in engineering, 2000–2013

1-6 Percentage of engineering degrees awarded annually to underrepresented minorities (African Americans, American Indians/Alaska Natives, and Hispanics of any race), 2000–2013

1-7 Percentage of engineering degrees awarded annually to foreign-born temporary resident students, 2000–2013

1-8 Engineering degree holders in the workforce by discipline and by highest degree