Stagnation: Is engineering dead?

it's not only engineering, but all fields of science.

biological/biomedical sciences/physical sciences are all falling way behind partially due to lack of funding and partially due to the fact that fewer students are entering programs- it's actually rather cyclic. less funding because of smaller number of students, fewer interested students because of lack of funding.

there are also a number of federal regulations restricting the growth of certain promising areas of science....

 

And then there's my 50-year-old college roomate. He has an engineering degree and lots of experience. He can't even get an interview, let alone a job. Companies are outsourcing their entire engineering departments to China and India because they can hire engineers for 1/3 the US wage.

I have to laugh when I hear some big shot like Carly Fiorino say we have a crisis in education because there aren't enough engineering grads. Asked why HP is moving engineering jobs to China, "we have to be competitive worldwide." In other words -- you can turn out all the engineers you want, but they better be willing to work for $30k a year. :blink:

 

there are 2 students that matriculated with me in my specific department, 8 total in our combined departments.

we were also "wined and dined," but there are about 6 schools competing for the same pool of maybe 40 applicants. apparently my year was the worst recruiting year on record.

this year the numbers of applicants have bounced back. but the number of available spots has declined because there's less funding to be had.

 

Then how to explain This ?

College majors that boost your paycheck

Computers and engineering offer the highest starting salaries; prospects for class of 2006 look hot.

Some type of applied science degrees make up seven of the top ten majors that receive the highest starting salary, according to the National Association of Colleges & Employers' (NACE) summer 2005 salary survey.

Chemical engineering was the highest paid major, with an average starting salary of $53,813, followed by computer engineering at $52,464 and electrical engineering at $51,888.

The rest of the list, in descending order, is aerospace engineering, systems engineering, computer science, mechanical engineering, industrial engineering, engineering technology and information sciences and systems.

And those salaries are going up too.

Offers for engineering technology graduates rose 4.2 percent over the same time last year. Aerospace engineers saw a 6.2 percent increase and industrial engineers saw their starting salary offers rise 7.7 percent.

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Personally I don't believe the sky is falling.

However I DO believe that the pace of change is accelerating, and that you have to keep your skills current and relevant. The days when you could get a degree, then a job forever are indeed gone.

But, if you recognize that you have to be a perpetual student, and pro-actively keep up with technology and demands, there will be jobs, and darned good ones.

There may indeed be a lack of qualified and willing applicants for programs, because modern engineering is HARD WORK, but believe me, there's plenty of work out there. That's why some of the companies I work with are offering finders fees in excess of $10K to any employee who can get them a recruit with needed key skills.

Your job is to make sure you have those key skills.

 

My school is an engineering school.. and the mood there is that it will be tough for us to find jobs because there are going to be a lot of us floating around

 

I don't think i'll ever be CEO of Lexus, but Chief Designer would be nice

 

how many years would an MBA add on?

I'm already looking at 8-9 years with this mechanical engineering degree and a transportation design degree

 

I'm new to this forum and found this discussion and wanted to add my insight given that I am a current engineering student. I am studying Mechanical Engineering and Minor in Business at a small, private, well known engineering school in Michigan. I think the reason why there has been a decline in students pursuing careers in engineering is because there has been a shift in mentality. I see many people with whom I go to school with, and who are NOT studying engieering, say why should I work so hard when I get make decent money in a different field. I think the baby boomer generation had a much different mentality and they have seen the peek, to date, of engineering. On top of this, not only is the course work difficult the competition is absolutely extreme.

Why did I choose to pursue engineering? To me the career path was an easy decision...I am fascinated by engineers. For me to create, design, and innovate a new high tech product is amazing, and something that I want to do. I will feel proud the day that I am fully able to say, I am a design engineer. It takes knowledge, creativity, business, all into one field.

Now to the point of this global landscape we live in and the jobs that are being outsourced. I have a decent understanding of both sides of this issue, the students/engineers in the US and students and engineers abroad. (I'm of Indian heritage, parents are from India, father is an engineer. ) I have seen and know people on both sides of this scenario. I think the key for us as students in the US and in the field of engineering is to NOT become a commodity. As soon as we become a commodity our company will no longer hold us at a higher level and of greater worth, but rather will see our position as a commodity they can rid of and obtain at a lower cost in another country. What does this mean? Essentially it means that we need to be MORE than just a smart well educated engineer, because students graduating in other countries with the same degree are just as technically sound. We need to be business savvy and have an understanding of how we as engineers can incorporate business aspects into our engineering work. This will show that we do indeed think multi-dimensionally and more than just our engineering work. It will show how we can further the business of our company into to markets and arenas. This is what we need to do, be NON COMMODITY ENGINEERS!!

My goal is to become a Toyota design engineer. I am currently a Co-op student with them and have finished 2 rotations there. I have a year and a half till I graduate and will complete 2 more work rotations with Toyota Tech. Center before I graduate. I can't wait to be a full fledged engineer!

 

I'll add another societal influence. In much engineering, there are RIGHT and WRONG answers. It doesn't fit well with the "trying your best" attitude or "close enough".

K-12 seems to teach getting along and diversity and feeling good. If Johnny mispells a word...it is OK if others "understand" what he means. If Jeannie trys to solve an algebra problem and just misses it by a bit....well, she gets graded for effort.

We need to work on excellence and accuracy as goals in and of themselves.

I am appalled at the "good enough got government work" attitude of much of the younger set I work with.

 

That's because the secondary and tertiary educational systems in this country SUCK.

It's no longer about education. Or, at least it is, but it has taken a back seat...

For example, no one wants to put up with the 95% BS political component of grad school.

We are soo back assed in education it isn't even funny. It KILLED me to spend my time and money in courses I would never use. The whole educational system is severely flawed.

That, and the fact that ANYONE can get a degree. 90% of degrees out there are as useless as some of my posts. I can't tell you how many people I've run into with stupid degrees like, "communication", generic "business" and/or "marketing" and the best of all, "Pop Culture", yes folks, I actually ran into some dumb nice person chick who claimed she had a degree in Pop Culture.

The whole 4 year concept is utterly retarded, nothing more than a "mob" of colleges and universities controlling the system such that you "need" them for their 120 credits....

Man, I could go off on this topic... Personally, I gave grad school the finger when I saw what it was all about. Luckily, I've done better than most without a grad degree, I figure my life isn't going to change too much whether I make 50, 100, or even 200K. I'd MUCH rather make, let's say for example, 50K a year and barely do a thing than bust my nice person 24/7 for 200K...

The only way you're likely to make some SERIOUS money 500K+ annually is by either being self employed, or having your own enterprise (or "plugging in" to a "high" enough corporate job).

Life's too short, it ain't all about the money.

 

Ask yourself if it's really:

1. worth it, and
2. what you want.

The real world is FAR different from what colleges and universities might have you believe.

 

Interesting topic. I've always wante to go back to school and become an engineer. I was thinking about trying to become an engineer for the military. get the training i need plus it's a job too.

Mechanical engineering sounds fun. next would have to be what this topic almost started with. Electricity. I wouldn't mind running a power plant. I would like it. I would also like to help develop new forms of energy. I just don't have the resources i need at this time.