This is the fourth of four papers prepared for a special panel session of the National Collaborative Task Force on Engineering Graduate Education Reform focusing on new educational approaches and processes that better meet the development needs of the U.S. engineering workforce in industry to enhance global competitiveness. Further graduate development of the U.S. engineering workforce in industry is critical to the continuous improvement, invention, development, and innovation of new technology which is the engine for U.S. economic prosperity and competitiveness. This paper focuses on a unique model for workforce development that represents a significant advancement in professional graduate education extending through the professional masters, professional doctorate and fellow levels of engineering practice. This advancement in professional graduate education forms a new partnership for universityindustry engagement for U.S. engineering workforce development that completes a missing piece of the process to better enable U.S. technological innovation which is long overdue. The impact of project-based learning on industrial innovation is evidenced. This model is designed specifically to support the on-site engineering process for continuous improvement and innovation in industry. It purposefully integrates postgraduate professional education for industry's employed engineers with on-site technology development projects that are chosen to be directly relevant to industry's continuous innovation needs and high-end engineering projects. The returns for enhanced corporate advantage generated through this unique model are measured as a matrix of increasing complexity of economic worth of on-site projects and of increasing human proficiency gained for leadership of technological innovation. The Importance of Developing a World-Class Engineering Workforce: Educating Creative Professionals for Innovation and Leadership in Industry The United States of America must remain preeminent in creating new innovative technologies through engineering to enhance its economic prosperity, quality of life, and national security. Our technical capability is the engine that drives our national economy and provides for our national security. Professional development of the US engineering workforce is the critical to our very way of life. The vast majority of engineering innovations are needs-driven and market-focused (requiring

sadly passed away as we wrote this paper. We will miss him greatly.

This is the second of four papers prepared for a special panel session of the National Collaborative Task Force on Engineering Graduate Education Reform. The paper formulates a creative approach and framework for postgraduate professional education that fosters continuous development of the U.S. engineering workforce concurrently with engineering practice for technological innovation. The framework integrates innovative project-based learning, progressive experience, self-directed learning, and graduate studies concurrently with engineering practice leading to the professional Master of Engineering (M.Eng.) for early career development of engineering leaders. The intent is to build clusters of postgraduate professional education across the country that strengthens industry's innovative capability for continuous technology development to enhance U.S. competitiveness.

formerly of the Boeing Company, is director, of the joint alliance of companies managing education for technology JACMET, and community liaison, college of technology and applied sciences at Arizona State University Polytechnic, and chair-elect College Industry Partnership Division, ex-officio member of the Corporate Members Council of the American Society for Engineering Education.

This is the third paper in the panel session of the National Collaborative Task Force for reform of professionally oriented engineering graduate education to make it more relevant to the needs of industry to ensure a strong U.S. engineering workforce for competitiveness. This paper addresses the need for new funding mechanisms to initiate, develop, and sustain high-quality professional graduate education both at comprehensive universities and at research universities across the nation. In today's economy of tight university budgets, it is unrealistic to think that universities can initiate and sustain high-quality professional graduate programs without external support. Whereas scientific research is the primary focus at many schools of engineering across the country, and is supported directly by federal funding, it is now evident that professional graduate education does not fit this model of funding. This paper begins the exploration of new funding schemes in collaboration with industry and government support to sustain the increasing momentum for the advancement of professional education in engineering practice and technology leadership for 21 st century universities.