Programs designed to avert engineering crisis in Utah
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By Warren R. Hill
Guest commentary
Stop for a moment and think about some of those taken-for-granted items you come in contact with every day of your life. From the moment your clock radio goes off in the morning until you finish watching a DVD in the evening, you use products created by engineers and technologists.
It's hard to imagine life without the technology we have come to depend on, which is why a shortage of engineers is causing concern both statewide and nationwide. A 2005 Reader's Digest article, "America's Brain Drain Crisis," states, "Scientists and engineers make up less than 5 percent of our population but create up to 50 percent of our gross domestic product."
The Standard-Examiner has reported on the challenges facing Northern Utah employers like Hill Air Force Base and ATK Launch Systems. Many of Utah's vacant engineering positions are at or near the base in Davis County. ATK anticipates adding more than 100 engineers per year over the next decade at its Box Elder facility, as the company designs and constructs NASA's next generation of launch and space vehicles.
In the greater Salt Lake City area, a variety of companies have technical positions they cannot fill. The Technology Initiative Advisory Board to the state Legislature recently reported that we already have a drastic shortage of engineering and computer scientists in the state, with a need for more than 1,500 within the next two years.
Nationwide, the picture is equally drastic. Lockheed Martin Corp., which has 939 facilities in 45 states and business locations in 56 nations and territories, estimates it will need 90,000 engineers within the next five years.
A decline in the number of technically competent employees, who not only design, but build, test, repair, maintain and install the technology required for the basic operation of our society, could have long-term consequences for our economic growth, national security and our position as a superpower. It's imperative that we address this problem now.
Weber State University's College of Applied Science and Technology is meeting this challenge head on by offering a number of programs and outreach efforts that provide both associate and baccalaureate degrees in high-demand, technological fields. One approach to increasing technical talent is Project Lead the Way (PLTW).
A nationwide high school pre-engineering program, PLTW is designed to encourage more high school graduates to enroll in engineering and engineering/technology programs in college and to succeed once they get there. Using a rigorous, project-based curriculum, the PLTW program consists of four required yearlong high school courses that educate students about technical careers. Every high school teacher in the program receives a minimum of 80 hours of training for each course they teach. This training takes place at one of 30 affiliate colleges or universities across the country. WSU is the PLTW affiliate for Utah.
Another successful strategy is WSU's Two Plus Two program, which offers students greater flexibility in earning their degrees. After two years, students can earn an associate degree in one of eight engineering/technology disciplines. While some immediately enter the workforce, others opt to continue their studies and earn a bachelor's degree. The Two Plus Two option helps currently employed students juggle their education and careers. It also provides a seamless path for returning students with associate degrees to resume their studies.
Weber State also works closely with the companies that hire our graduates to better meet employers' needs. WSU students complete internships and senior projects in companies such as Parker Hannifin, Autoliv, Barnes Aerospace and Williams International, as well as working with Hill Air Force Base. Many of our curriculum offerings are designed to meet workforce education and training needs, such as a leadership and development program for employees at Hill.
Recent data on outcomes are encouraging. For the past five years WSU has produced more graduates with bachelor's degrees in computer science than any other public university in the state.
Likewise, the number of engineering/ technology graduates at WSU compares favorably with the number of engineering graduates at some of the state's larger public universities.
I'm optimistic that Utah can reverse the decline in engineers with efforts like these at WSU. The key to meeting this increased demand rests with getting more students excited about, and interested in, the fields of engineering and technology.
Hill has served as dean of the College of Applied Science and Technology at WSU since 1990.
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