Creating New Engineers for the New Millennium

Abstract

This paper explores issues relating to the fields of engineering education that are constantly evolving. Business, industry, and higher education institutions must come to a consensus on what skills, talents and resources engineers need if they are to survive in a technological society. The authors investigate a growing division between higher education and industry. The results of a national survey by the US Consensus Bureau on hiring, training, and management practices in American business indicate an increasing conviction among employers that colleges and universities have not adequately prepared students for rapidly changing market environments. The authors also examine the issues that have apparently contributed to the divergence between industry and academia. To bridge the gap between industry and academia, guidelines are suggested that can result in producing a new generation of engineers. Data were gathered from a survey soliciting perceptions from business, industry and engineering students at various colleges and universities. The results of this survey are also discussed.