Engineering Inc. - November/December 2009 - 15

STEM By Alan Joch The Great Legislative efforts to restock the nation’s engineering talent pool face hurdles Offensive I Derek LeA t’s no secret that the engineering talent pool in this country is evaporating—faster, even, than some are willing to admit. But the reality is just that. Twenty-percent declines in the number of engineering bachelor’s degrees in the United States since 1985 attest to how few students are choosing to enter into the profession. This stands in sharp contrast to rapidly advancing nations such as China and India, where the number of students earning engineering and technical degrees more than doubled in the first half of this decade. At the same time, the industry’s practicing professionals—the sage and experienced— are inching closer to retirement: Nearly 30 percent of workers who now hold engineering or science degrees are age 50 or older. However, funding was slow to materialize for the programs, thanks in large part to a floundering national economy, made worse by a ballooning federal deficit. Taken together, the problems have prevented the engineering industry from seeing much in the way of concrete results so far for either of these two potentially game-changing pieces of legislation. Despite the wait for funding, many throughout the profession take solace in the symbolism of these bills. The very fact that Congress passed such legislation shows lawmakers are aware of the problem. “These bills are significant because they represent tangible proof that Congress recognizes the long-term need for greater emphasis on STEM education and engineering,” says Steve Hall, ACEC vice president for government affairs. “Congress recognized that through a variety of mechanisms there should be a national policy to support the engineering profession.” Money Trouble Given these statistics, it’s no wonder industry practitioners cheered when two high-profile bills promoting science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education recently became law. “This bill will help us turn that corner,” crowed Congressman Bart Gordon (D-Tenn.), chairman of the House Committee on Science and Technology, speaking about the America COMPETES Act of 2007. A year later, Congress authorized the Higher Education Opportunity Act, which includes an ACEC-backed provision for reducing student-loan debt for graduates who enter the engineering profession. When it was passed two years ago, America COMPETES authorized $33.6 billion over three years to promote STEM education by earmarking programs for K–12 students and teachers. Because the act authorizes only spending, not actual funds, it’s up to Congress to pay for the law’s new initiatives. So far, Congress has opted to take a modest pick-and-choose approach—it funded some components and tabled others. For example, the fiscal year 2009 budget gave the U.S. Department of Education $2 million to launch Teachers for a Competitive Tomorrow, which encourages students to complete STEM-related bachelor’s and master’s coursework while concurrently enrolling in a teacher-certification program. The initiative appeared to be building a head of steam until both the Bush and Obama administrations, through separate NovEmbER / DECEmbER 2009 ENGINEERING INC.

Engineering Inc. - November/December 2009

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