xcr:
Good engineering article...
Schools do have to find a way to keep it interesting without diluting the quality of course content... While boring, theory is very important... Hopefully our educational institutions will be equal to the challenge of graduating more home grown engineers... Otherwise we'll have to use the services of "Rent An Engineer"...
Here are some Gov't approaches to this problem:
IEEE-USA Joins With Others to Endorse Bipartisan Tech Talent Bill
To strengthen the nation's technical workforce and create an alternative to increasing reliance on H-1B guestworkers to supply the future demand for engineers, scientists and technologists, Senators Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.), Christopher Bond (R-Mo.), Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), and Pete Domenici (R-N.M.) recently introduced the Technology Talent Act of 2001 (S.1549). Simultaneously, House Science Chairman Sherwood Boehlert (R-N.Y.) and Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.) introduced a companion bill (H.R.2130) in the House of Representatives.
This Tech Talent Bill, as it is being called, is aimed at increasing the number of U.S. citizens or permanent residents who obtain degrees in science, mathematics, engineering or technology (SMET). The legislation addresses the problem by establishing a competitive grant program at the National Science Foundation that rewards universities, colleges and community colleges that succeed in increasing the number of technical degrees received by U.S. citizens.
NSF Grant Program Would Award $25 Million in FY2002
If Congress and the President pass the bill, the pilot program would enable NSF to award up to $25 million in three-year grants in FY 2002, with funding expected to increase as necessary. The bill sponsors hope to increase the funding level over the next several years to approximately $200 million annually, pending on program results and budgetary considerations.
Regardless of the bill's status, the conference report accompanying the final FY2002 Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act (H.R. 2620), directs NSF to set aside $5 million "for a new undergraduate workforce initiative, which is to include a new, merit-based, competitive grants program for colleges and universities for increasing the number of undergraduate degree recipients in science and engineering, consistent with the provisions of S. 1549" (the Technology Talent Act of 2001). In other words, even though the Tech Talent Bill hasn't passed, there is already $5 million in NSF's budget next year to start the program.
Talent Needed to Drive Economic Growth
"The reality is that technological innovation is now widely understood to be the major driver of economic growth, not to mention a critical factor in our military superiority," Lieberman said. "And it is widely understood that we cannot expand our economy in the future if we don't take steps now to expand our domestic pool of brainpower, the next generation of people who will incubate and implement the next generation of ideas."
Frist noted that the U.S. economy has grown more dependent on a workforce trained in science, mathematics, engineering and technology. "If graduation rates in these fields continue to decline," he said, "the U.S. economy could face a real crisis as it struggles to compete globally…I'm hopeful that through the Tech Talent Bill our colleges and universities will be able to improve enrollment numbers." Engineering and the sciences, he said, are critical to America's economic success.
"We don't have a worker shortage in this country, we have a skills shortage. And we will continue to have a skills shortage unless we act now. This grant program is an investment in our nation's future."
-Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.)
Rep. Larson Ties Need for Talent to 11 September
Rep. Larson noted that the events of 11 September make it even more imperative that the United States increase its technical workforce. "We must remember that there is a strong connection to be made between our national security and the level of science and technology proficiency in America," he said. "Our strength and leadership in the world is based on the might of our defense, the strength of our economy, and the quality of our education system. Without any of these three components, the global preeminence of the nation suffers."
Tech Talent Bill Has Widespread Support
S. 1549/H.R. 2130 has received the support of many industry leaders and organizations, IEEE-USA among them. IEEE-USA joined with the more than a dozen members of the K-12 Science, Math, Engineering and Technology Education Coalition to endorse the bill. In a letter sent to Senate sponsors in October, the Coalition commends the sponsors for introducing the bill, adding that "the journey begins before college."
"We are pleased that your legislation encourages universities to partner with community colleges, industry organizations, professional societies, and local schools to pave the way for students of all ages and backgrounds to further their interests in SMET coursework and career paths," they wrote.
The bill has also received support from several industry leaders, including TechNet, a national network of CEOs and senior executives from technology and biotechnology companies; Al Berkeley, Vice Chair of NASDAQ; the National Alliance of Business; Texas Instruments; and General Electric.
todaysengineer.org
Jim |
