Enabling The U.S. Engineering Workforce To Perform: Recognizing The Importance Of Industrial Engagement In Professional Graduate Engineering Education

Abstract

This is the first 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. Because the practice of engineering for technological innovation is changing and because engineering education cannot meet all of the requirements relevant to the needs and skill sets required for career-long growth of engineers in industry, within the standard four-year baccalaureate curriculum, there is a heightened sense of urgency that major educational reform is needed at the graduate level. The demand for a strong U.S. engineering workforce with advanced technical skills, practical engineering experience, and progressive professional skills from entry-level through executive engineering leadership levels of technological innovation in industry is forcing sweeping reform in engineering graduate education. This paper represents the work of the newly established National Collaborative for Engineering Graduate Education Reform, which is taking a key leadership role with industry to enact purposeful reform in engineering education at the graduate professional level in order to continue the career-long growth process of working engineering professionals in industry to spur innovation, unleash creativity, and enhance U.S. competitiveness. The paper addresses the national importance of this reform, including the role of U.S. engineering graduate education in supporting the growth of the nation's engineers who lead the continuous development of technology for the competitive advantage of technology-based U.S. industries in the global economy; the vital role of industry's capacity to sustain world-class technology development and innovation for the nation's economic growth and national security; and the important role that engineers play throughout their professional industrial careers in conceptualizing, designing, developing, innovating, and leading the systematic process of engineering for continual improvements, developments, and breakthrough of new technologies for corporate competitive advantage.

Engagement In Industry: Preparing Undergraduate Engineering Technology Students For Graduate Study

“…6 The success of these projects, coupled with the feedback from graduate students and industrial partners, provide proof that the engagement model is positively impacting industry, students, and the university. As Snellenberger, et al 7 have noted, the importance of this relationship is critical to those involved, especially in a region that has seen such a decline in number of industrial jobs.…”