Engineering Is There a True Shortage of Engineers or a Skills Gap?

[xcvxcvvc]

Companies always want a rainmaker who will bring millions for them and their stockholders. The issues is not in the genetic quality of the world populus but the erosiion of values and standards that has plagued the world. Education is no longer important, and gratification must be immediate. Our value systems have changed and unfortunatly and education has been the primary victim because of it.

To the people who are alluding that the genetic make up of people has declined need to get over themselves. Moreover you probably are not classified as a true engineer either.

I think the degradation of education in the US in paticular is attributed to

1. Society values why do math/science and make 50K where I can be like A Rod or Lebron...
2. The destruction of the middle class and families, the work week is more like 60-80 rather than 40 and both parents have work if threre are 2 parents so where does the child rearing fit in...
3. Poor teacher salaries, you are not getting the best and brighest paying such a low wage its the bottom of ladder in terms of white collar jobs.

4. Corporate practices - they deliberatly segment and disect so that you are replacable and the earnings pressure stifiles innovation etc...

5. Pop culture - American Idol, Desporate Housewives Sex in the city, all these things paint unrealistic views in soceity as a whole... Where is the emphasis on STEM stuff in pop culture. Out of sight out of mind.

There is a lot wrong with the world today, humantiy really is coming unglued the education issues is a symptom not the problem.

(no time to proofread on lunch break apoligize in advance for errors )

The people mentioning intelligence didn't say it has declined. I think they mostly said the demand for great engineers has surpassed the number of genetically born great engineers in recent times. Also, by saying "get over yourselves," you are using an ad hominem attack. The posters never mentioned that they were great engineers, and even if they did, their arrogance is not in discussion right now.

 

[turbo]

I feel like there is a lack of opportunities for the young scientist and engineers to gain these specific type of skills during high school and college. There is a lack of apprentice type positions and companies willing to really work with students.

This is not universally true. My youngest nephew studied Chemical Engineering and landed an internship at a local paper mill for all three "off" summers and had a job waiting for him when he graduated. He got a much better offer from another company and moved to another part of the state to take that job.

Lack of applicable skills in engineering graduates is not a new problem. Back in the mid-70's I was a chemist in a brand-new pulp mill, and when the Tech department hired freshly-minted engineers, in 2 instances I was teamed up with them for long-term projects, and had to spend a lot of my time getting them up to speed. To be fair, one of the new engineers had some impressive Fortran skills that made a massive heat-and-mass balance project a lot less daunting than it would have been otherwise.

 

[stevenb]

I love how you use "born engineers" to signify "intelligent people" and you use "people not born engineers" as a euphemism for "stupid/average people"

Those are your words, not mine, and I couldn't disagree with you more.

I don't think great intelligence is the important ingredient to make a good engineer. I know many brilliant people that would not make good engineers. I also know many people that would be considered average intelligence in general, but who are great engineers. However, I do think intelligence is one important ingredient to be good in any field, and it certainly can't hurt. I think good engineers need to be bright and clever, but they do not need to be super intelligent or even quick thinking, in my opinion. More than intelligence, an engineer needs to be able to focus the mind on a problem for days or even weeks and must make finding a solution a part of his/her soul. Even more, a good engineer enjoys this and is driven to do this with great internal passion.

I think being a good engineer is similar to being a good artist or a good musician. There is some type of "inborn" drive in some people that is an integral part of who they are. There is not only the talent aspect, but the drive aspect. Sure, many people can do engineering, but those who are born to do it know who they are, and will always outperform those who are not. A born engineer always gets to the best solutions. Those not born to it can flounder, and even a 180 IQ will not show them the path any more than a 180 IQ will allow someone to sculpt a lifelike human form, or compose a moving symphony, or write a poem that would move someone to tears. There is a difference between talent and intelligence.

 

[DR13]

http://xkcd.com/603/