Engineering resurgence

Are we finally on the right track? We seem to hear so much about the shortfalls of engineering education and a need for higher emphasis on math and science education. However, a recent article from The Christian Science Monitor reveals a surprising trend in engineering education.

Test & Measurement World senior technical editor Martin Rowe’s alma mater, Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, MA (Read his recent blog post for information on how to pronounce ‘Worcester’), has reportedly seen a 70% rise in applications over the past five years, and so much interest in the program that the school enrolled 902 freshman last fall, 100 more than expected.

The reasons cited for the sudden surge are both social and economic. According to the article, “Many students are bringing to engineering a heightened sense of social responsibility and a desire ‘to go out and make a difference in the world,’ says Joseph Helble, dean of the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H., where enrollment in introductory undergraduate courses is 30 percent above the five-year average.”

“Nationally, enrollment in undergraduate engineering programs rose 3 percent in 2007 and 4.5 percent 2008, according to the American Association of Engineering Education. Meanwhile, enrollment in masters’ degree programs rose 7 percent in 2007 and 2 percent in 2008. In the fall of 2008, 91,489 masters degree students and 403,193 undergraduates were studying engineering at US universities and colleges.”

According to Jonathan Liegois, a freshman at the Milwaukee School of Engineering, another reason that many students have chosen engineering as a career is that “the job outlook is high. [The sentiment is that] if you stick to it, it will pay off.”

There are many who will still have their doubts about the sustainability of this spike in interest, especially after the economy rebounds, but certainly, this has to be taken as a positive sign for the future of the industry, which has been struggling to attract interest (See my post entitled ‘Spurring Innovation’).

One group of engineers that has been worried about personell shortages is the NCSLI, which has developed a metrology ambassador program where professionals in the field of Metrology are encouraged to speak to high school and middle school students and write articles about the profession and its relevance to the real world. The program hopes to help stimulate interest in the career and do something about the “dwindling number of young adults entering engineering / science disciplines.”

While the news provides hope for the future of the U.S. in terms of staying competitive in an increasingly technical and competitive marketplace, it is apparent that there is still much to do. Nonetheless, Tim Valley, vice president of enrollment management at the Milwaukee School alludes to the effectiveness of efforts like that of the NSCLI when he says, “There’s also quite a bit written about the shortage of engineers in the United States. I think students are picking up on that.”