doi:10.3850/978-981-08-7156-7_P168
| Title | Sustaining the Engineering Workforce: A Global Priority |
| Speaker | Nelson Baker, Georgia Institute of Technology |
| Date/Time | Monday, 18 October 2010 / 9:00 am – 10:30 am |
| Venue | Engineering Auditorium |
With ever increasing fervor, society is asking for solutions to pressing problems for mankind. The engineering sector is well suited to address many of these challenges including quality drinking water, renewable energy supplies and quality public infrastructure. However, the need for quality engineering education and professional development is not always in alignment with the demands of society. An engineer’s ability to proactively contribute to society’s demands requires greater emphasis on developing new skills, knowledge and experiences receiving guidance from many sources including government, private industry, academia and others. An engineer needs to be constantly modernized to keep pace with the science and technology changes that do not just evolve, but in many cases have been created and revolutionized well within the span of an engineer’s career. Further, there are also vexing political and social implications that accompany both the problems and the solutions. How can we best shape the preparation and learning of our engineering workforce so that they continue to learn and grow as both technical and societal leaders? How can we ensure that the technical and socio-political solutions they will create are to be optimal in both scientific and societal terms? Are universities, professional societies and other providers of professional development listening and structuring programs needed by the workforce? Creating a national and international agenda for the ensuring a quality engineering profession is critically important, not just for engineering, but for society.
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