Understanding the Educational and Career Pathways of Engineers
English
By (author): Committee on Understanding the Engineering Education-Workforce Continuum National Academy of Engineering
Engineering skills and knowledge are foundational to technological innovation and development that drive long-term economic growth and help solve societal challenges. Therefore, to ensure national competitiveness and quality of life it is important to understand and to continuously adapt and improve the educational and career pathways of engineers in the United States. To gather this understanding it is necessary to study the people with the engineering skills and knowledge as well as the evolving system of institutions, policies, markets, people, and other resources that together prepare, deploy, and replenish the nation's engineering workforce.
This report explores the characteristics and career choices of engineering graduates, particularly those with a BS or MS degree, who constitute the vast majority of degreed engineers, as well as the characteristics of those with non-engineering degrees who are employed as engineers in the United States. It provides insight into their educational and career pathways and related decision making, the forces that influence their decisions, and the implications for major elements of engineering education-to-workforce pathways.
Table of Contents- Front Matter
- Executive Summary
- Introduction
- 1 Characteristics of Engineers and the Engineering Workforce
- 2 Challenges for Engineering Education
- 3 Factors That Influence the Decision Making of Engineering Students and Graduates
- 4 Major Findings and Recommendations
- Appendix A: The Engineering Education-Workforce Continuum
- Appendix B: Glossary of Engineering Fields
- Appendix C: Examining Postsecondary and Post-College Pathways of Engineering Students Who Start at Four-Year Colleges and Universities
- Appendix D: Cobweb Model of the Engineering Labor Market
- Appendix E: Advancing Our Understanding of Engineering Education Pathways, Employment Dynamics, and Economic Impact Through the Innovative Use of Administrative Data
- Appendix F: Workshop Program
- Appendix G: Biographies of Committee Members