The Idea Exchange

I blogged recently about the world dominance of the United States being threatened due to the declining number of engineers entering the workforce.  Engineering and science have made the United States what it is today because of the constant innovation individuals in these fields have created.  During the Cold War, and after John F. Kennedy’s moving speech declaring the US would put a man on the moon, every kid wanted to grow up and contribute to this exhilarating field of space and exploration.  Now many American kids couldn’t care less and more emphasis is put on becoming a doctor or a lawyer.

 When I was younger I wanted to become a lawyer. When I told that to my friend’s dad, he cringed and said, “We have enough lawyers. What we need is more do’ers.”  That has really stuck with me through the years, and I wish all high school graduates were given that advice.

Asian countries are currently producing 8 times the number of undergraduate engineering degrees as the United States, and that number is rapidly growing.  60% of all bachelor’s degrees in China are engineering degrees compared to only 31% in the United States.  The number of jobs requiring science and engineering degrees will continue to grow. How are these jobs going to be filled if the number of graduates in an engineering field continues to slide?

 Science and engineering is the backbone of our high standard of living, and if something isn’t done to combat this issue, the global economic landscape in the next several decades could be drastically different.  Thoughts?