Quality Control

This has been discussed before... (interminably)

One big problem is that the educators tend to be from non engineering backgrounds. Those teaching younger kids tend to be women who historically (and maybe by their nature) tend to be more 'people' orientated rather than 'object' orientated.

Joe public has no idea what an 'Engineer' is. He thinks the 'fitter' or 'installer' is and Engineer.

The fact that managers/accountants/marketing hold the purse strings is also a big factor as they will always feather their own nest first, while the Engineer is often more interested in the actual engineering.

Del

What you're talking about here is a revolution in thinking/perception that is probably not in the cards. This is primarily because engineers think more about getting the job done and less about front office politics. It is a rare individual indeed that can pull it off. You just about have to be schizophrenic.

It's funny though, how many engineers that get promoted to the front seem to forget what it was like in the trenches.

The kind of engineer that you really want, is going to wind up being an engineer, unless he/she does not have the chance. IMHO the kind of person that is drawn to engineering just for the pay, or worse for glamour, is fodder that might fill a position, but not the need.

Look at some of the threads and and posts on CR4, and you will find a lot of engineers that started tinkering with mechanical/electrical/chemical things at a very early age. Where else would they wind up?

Screw the "Hollywood makeover", pay them what they are worth, and get the boneheaded bosses (most of whom can't even operate a toaster) out of the way.

As said before this has been done to death both here & in the various engineering institutions. One problem seems to be that engineers in general are not good at self promotion, being more interested in the technical details thus those with the loudest voices tend to be from other disciplines.

I'm still surprised by how many people think I drive a train when I tell them I work for a Civil Engineering company.

Most people don't even realize that engineers are used in most of the things that they associate with in their daily lives.

Mechanical engineers for HVAC and other building systems.

Structural Engineers for the actual build structure. Most think Architects design the actual structural parts. ROFL

And Civil engineers for most of the external things like sewers and drainage.

Heck I'm sure its only because I'm in the engineering field. But when I look at my kids toys I consider all the engineering that goes into some of them. Especially his transformers toys.

Maybe seeing his engineer dad getting laid off when he reaches 40+ and not being able to get another engineering job could be a deterrent for youngsters to pursue a career in engineering.

It depends who or what you define as engineering. If we had no engineers to design parameters and strengths of all materials, nothing could be designed or built.

The knowledge of strength and flexibility etc is built into all past and present lifestyles.

It also depends on what you call 'young people'? A person may be able to get into engineering in their mid twenty's, but it is not for at least another ten years before they have proven themselves and can be taken seriously.

Every product from a matchstick to a 230 ton earth mining truck has to be designed by an engineer.

I agree some companies do seem to relegate engineers to a lowly place, but those who have any savvy at all, will not do this.

Another point is, there is so many facets to engineering, so unless you chose one before asking this question, it will be difficult to give a sensible reply.

jfmfit

Promote the Engineer as the Ultimate Artist.

Like Mc Giver from the T.V. Seris. The people who keep the world and society working without them everything would eventually slow to a crawl.