CAREEROUTLOOK | Industry Overview CURRENT TRENDS IN ENGINEERING CAREERS J
ames Brown, the executive director of the STEM Education Coalition in Washington, DC, recently stated his belief that “the future of the economy is in STEM. That’s where the jobs of tomorrow will be.” And while it is true that students that have received training in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields have a competitive edge when it comes to landing a great-paying job, it’s important to keep in mind that STEM jobs are not created equal.
An Unequal Playing Field According to recent figures issued by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment opportunities in certain specialties have significantly decreased. This is particularly true for computer programmers, electrical and electronic engineers, chemists, and material scientists, where the number of employees in these fields went down in the ten-year period between 2003–2013. In contrast, the demand for engineers in other sectors is projected to remain strong. These include aerospace engineering, petroleum engineering, process engineering, nuclear engineering, materials science, and thermo- hydraulic engineering.
Get Inside the Minds of To- day’s Employers As the number of STEM jobs in certain sectors continues to grow, U.S. employers still struggle to fill available job openings. Here’s how you can set yourself apart from your peers and take advantage of job opportunities:
1. Specialize in a high-growth, high-demand engineering field. The demand for trained engineers varies widely by discipline. At the same time that the number of electrical and electronic engineers decreased by 17.4 percent, the number of jobs for aerospace engineers grew by 75.6 percent.
2. Demonstrate a willingness to relocate.
The demand for engineers varies greatly by region. Petroleum engineers, for instance, will likely find themselves living in Texas and Oklahoma. Software developers are in much
higher demand in California, Washington, and New York, resulting in higher wages in those states. Areas that attract federal research or contracting installations also tend to employ more people in STEM-related occupations. For example, Washington, DC, has more than double the number of STEM jobs
by Sonia Quinones
editors@ccgmag.com
than the national average. In fact, the per- capita basis growth rate of STEM workers in the nearby counties of Fairfax and Arlington has exceeded every other state for the past decade. Los Alamos, NM, and Butte, ID, counties—home to major facilities such as the Air Force Research Laboratory, Intel, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Northrop Grumman, PNM Resources, and Sandia National Laboratories—employ thousands of STEM workers.
3. Sign up for opportunities to gain hands-on, real-world experience. Classroom theory can only take you so far. Today’s employers are looking to see how you’ve applied your knowledge to solve real-world problems. Given the complex nature of the kinds of solutions needed by the public and private sectors, they also want to see how you work in groups. This is where participating in “hack-a-thons,” extracurricular projects, and internships can set you apart.
4. Get a well-rounded education. In a survey of major employers released by the Association of American Colleges and Universities, called It Takes More Than a
26 HISPANIC ENGINEER & Information Technology | FALL 2016
www.hispanicengineer.com
Major: Employer Priorities for College Learning and Student Success, more than 75 percent of employers surveyed revealed that every college student needs to demonstrate a strong grasp of critical thinking, complex problem solving, written and oral communication, and applied knowledge in real-world settings, skills that liberal arts classes help to hone.
Learn More
http://dpeaflcio.org/programs- publications/issue-fact-sheets/the-stem- workforce-an-occupational-overview/
https://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ. jsp?cntn_id=129236
http://www.stemjobs.com/sja/stem- employers/2016-stem-jobs-approved- employers/
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40