Do We Need More Engineers?

The Engineer Debate:
Quantity vs. Quality

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of science and engineering jobs in the U.S. is expected to grow more than 1 million between 2010 to 2020. What's more, it is expected that the nation will need 1.3 million of these professionals to replace workers who are exiting the field.

Despite these statistics, engineering ranks number 6 on the hardest jobs to fill in the U.S. As many firms struggle to find competent employees to hire.  The question is why, when there seems to be so many engineers looking for employment and so many eager firms looking to hire?

It is this question the PE Magazine attempts to dissect in their October issue.  So who is right? Does the U.S. need more engineers or fewer engineers? And does the problem stem from the lack of preparation of our graduates or does responsibility rest on the unrealistic expectations of firms who are hiring?  

Perhaps both are to blame.  Here is a breakdown of some of the noticeable deficiencies of graduates with engineering degrees along with the firms seeking to hire:  

The Graduates 

• The large majority of graduates lack  field experience, which means firms must invest a substantial amount of time training recent graduates. 
• There is no universal software used by every firm. Often graduates aren't familiar with the software utilized by the firm they are applying to because often what they use in their classes is not always the same. 
• Lastly, graduates lack initiative on the job, which if a sought after quality by most firms. 

The Employers 

• One of the major problems with employers is that they desire something unavailable in the market place. As experienced engineers with the technical skills they require often have secure positions and/or expect substantial wages for their expertise. 
• Likewise, employers have unrealistic expectations for their new hires.  
• Lastly, many employers don't want to pay what it may take to secure talent. 

What's the Solution?  

There isn't a perfect solution, but clearly the academic and professional world must work together to overcome these difficulties.

Engineering curriculum should require students to partake in an internship for a semester, which is common for degrees like education.  Likewise, engineering firms must recognize that perfection does not exist. Instead, new hires must be viewed as the investment that they are.  It may take years for the new hire to reach its full productivity comparable to the employee's salary. 

Tell us what you think?
Should companies be concerned about the potential lack of engineers or is it simply a result of inefficient preparation of graduates or unrealistic expectation?