Educating engineers

The automotive and academic worlds are teaming to ensure that the industry's future is full of qualified engineering talent.

“Engineering is definitely not for the less determined,” said Greg Kruger, Vice President of Kelly Engineering Resources, in a report released in early 2002 titled “A shortage of engineering talent: What can be done to regain our edge?” “It requires a lot of hard work, discipline, and a commitment to continuing education to keep up with the latest technological advances.” As a result, many potential candidates may decide “to pursue less educationally rigorous opportunities,” he added.

The automotive engineering profession certainly requires the high level of commitment that Kruger describes, but it appears that more students may be ready for the challenge. From the fall of 1996 through 2001, “major growth in enrolled students” occurred in mechanical engineering, as well as in the computer, electrical, and aerospace disciplines, according to Engineering Trends, an e-commerce consulting firm that specializes in engineering education. During those five years, fulltime undergraduate enrollment in mechanical engineering was up 8%, while master's degree enrollment was up 14%. This trend is good news for the automakers and suppliers whose future depends on young, talented engineers.