Improving The State of Engineering in USA Dr. Ralph W. Wyndrum, Jr. 2006 IEEE-USA President

Improving The State of Engineering in USA

Dr. Ralph W. Wyndrum, Jr.2006 IEEE-USA President

IEEE Region 1 Leadership Workshop

18 August 2006

Overview

• How can U.S. engineers succeed in new global environment?

• Is engineering losing its value today?

• What are specific IEEE/IEEE-USA programs to maintain U.S. leadership in innovation? (Continuing/precollege ed.)

• Mastering the innovation process

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Key Economic Forecast, Indicatorsfor U.S. in 2004-2005

• 2004 Population: 293,655,000• 2004 Labor Force: 148,644,000• 2005 Unemployment: 5.1%• 2006 Projected Unemployment: 4.8%• 2005 Gross Domestic Product: $12.5

trillion*

Sources: Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, November 2005; *Wikipedia, 05/25/06

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How is U.S. doing overall?

• Corporate profits registered third straight year of double-digit increases in 2005

• Stocks at highest level since 1st half of ’01 • Net worth of businesses grew by $2.7

trillion from 2000 to 2004• Autos, airlines struggling in otherwise

healthy economy

Source: The New York Times, 5 December 2005

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Borrowing vs. Earning Power

• U.S. borrowing binge fueled by housing boon -- masked decline in earning power

• Underscored need for Americans to save more

• More than $46 trillion in long-term government liabilities, including debt and unfunded benefit programs (Government Accountability Office)

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Changing Demographics

• Graying overall workforce – as 70-million+ baby boomers begin to retire

• Boomers replaced by increasing numbers of African Americans, Hispanics less likely to earn degrees

• Growing disparity between rich, poor• 37 million in poverty; 47 million without

health insurance – in 2004Source: The New York Times, 5 December 2005

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Current Global Environment:Jeff Faux Economic Policy Institute*

• “Barriers of time, space, nationality have been shrinking between the world’s buyers and sellers, relentlessly leveling the economic playing field.

• “Rules of the global marketplace have flattened the protections – systematically chopped up the national social contracts without replacing them with a global one.”

*Washington, DC-based non-profit, non-partisan think-tank

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Growth in Software Industry Revenues: 2004-2009

Source: IDC for Microsoft reported in Financial Times, March 2006

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Asia 8.6%

Europe 6.5%

North America 4.5%

India 19%

Engineering Contributions

• Scientists, engineers make up less than five percent of U.S. population, but create up to 50% of gross domestic product – Reader’s Digest, December 2005

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Worldwide Distribution of R&D16 February ’06 Georgia Tech Study

• In addition to areas with low labor costs, jobs are moving to areas with more skilled employees

• Multinational corporations are global shoppers for talent

• From ’06-’09, 38% of 200 multinational corporations planned to move R&D work to other countries/overseas locations in developed, developing world

• China, India attracting greatest increase in R&D projects

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Going “Where Smart People Are”

• 90% of world’s scientists, engineers will be living in Asia by 2010 – Richard E. Smalley, Rice University

• “We go where the smart people are.” – Howard High, Intel

• Forthcoming Occupational Outlook Handbook to adjust demand to reflect impact of offshoring

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2004-14 Workforce Demand:Percentage Increase (Labor Dept.)

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Network systems & data communications analysts

Up 54.6%

Computer software engineers, applications

Up 48.4%

Computer software engineers, systems software

Up 43.0%

Network & computer systems administrators

Up 38.4%

Database administrators Up 38.2%

Computer systems analysts Up 31.4%

Global Environment:Adding to Our Uncertainty

• November 2005 CMP survey of 4,000 U.S. engineers confirms psychological impact of U.S. offshoring

• 64% said offshoring makes them worry about profession’s future

• Less than 10% sure U.S. will maintain its leadership in technology

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Contrasting Asia, U.S., UK, GermanyAnil Hira, Simon Fraser University

1st University Degrees, Engineering

0

50,000

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

300,000

China Japan South Korea US UK Germany

1985

1995

2002

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Overseas Engineers Can Afford To Be Paid LessCountry

Salary to Have Purchasing Power

Parity (PPP)Salary

U.S. 1.0 * $70k $70,000

Hungary 0.367 * $70k $25,690

China 0.216 * $70k $15,120

Russia 0.206 * $70k $14,420

India 0.194 * $70k $13,580

Source: PPP data from World Bank International Comparison Project

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Concerns About Precollege Education

• Failure of our math and science education poses “greater threat than any potential conventional war” – ’01 Congressoinal Commission

• $440 billion spent annually on public education (Reader’s Digest, Dec. 2005)

• $45,000 average teacher salary (Business Week, Nov. 21, 2005)

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Concerns About Precollege Education

• National shortfall of 250,000 math and science teachers (Business Week)

• 38% math teachers, 28% science teachers in grades 7-12 lacked a college major or minor in their subject area (2000 survey quoted in December 2005 Fortune)

• Highest predictor of student performance = teacher knowledge – Gerald Wheeler, National Science Teachers Association

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National Academies’ “Gathering Storm”

• Provide scholarships for 25,000 undergrads who commit to degrees in math, science or engineering

• Provide scholarships for 10,000 math and science majors who enter teaching

• More than 60% of public school students in some areas of math and science learn from teachers who haven’t majored in subject taught

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Insecure, Unappreciated? • We feel insecure, unappreciated -- even

discourage our own children to go into engineering.

• But facts don’t validate these feelings – Americans recognize and respect contributions of engineers, according to 2003 AAES-Harris Interactive Survey.

• Americans give credit to engineers for creating economic growth, preserving national security, making strong leaders.

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Meet Enemy: Ourselves?

• Better prepare ourselves

• Mentor others (IEEE’s new web-based program with The Training Connection)

• Support our schools, teachers

• Help train new generation to cope with increasingly complex world

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IEEE-USA Goals for 2006-2007Express Member/Future Professional Needs

• Offer increased, “sticky” member value in products, services – to improve member retention

• Provide serious, career-long continuing education to maintain a competitive USA workforce, and to preserve careers

• Provide innovation leadership• Support K-12 education to assure the next

generation of high-tech professionals

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IEEE-USA in Washington, DC 2006 Public Policy Priorities

• Urging Congress to pass comprehensive legislation designed to promote U.S. innovation and competitiveness (IEEE-USA-supported bills include: H.R. 5356, H.R. 5358, S. 2109, S. 2197, S. 2198, and S.2199).

• Supporting immigration reforms (“Green Cards, Not Guest Workers”) and passage of reform bill to prevent H-1B abuses (H.R. 4378)

• Supported successful passage of Pension Protection Act (H.R. 4).

• Other 2006 priorities include E-Health and Patent Reform

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IEEE-USA in Washington DC Supporting Continuing Education Opportunities• IEEE-USA is promoting IEEE Education

Partners Program with EAB, which:-- Provides some 6,000 courses from more than a dozen providers-- Helps members meet CE, certificate, graduate degree requirements-- Includes Drexel, N.J. Institute of Technology, Stevens Institute of Technology, Thomson NETg, University of Washington-- Provides significant discounts that can offset dues cost

http://www.ieee.org/web/education/partners/eduPartners.html

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• IEEE-USA is also partnering with EAB to promote IEEE “Expert Now” courses -- one-hour online learning modules covering aerospace to vehicular technology, which capture the latest information on emerging technologies from IEEE conference tutorials, short courses, workshops

• IEEE-USA partnering with “AchieveGlobal” to offer 29 online “Leadership for Results” courses to equip members with the "soft skills" needed to succeed in today's workplace

IEEE-USA in Washington DC Supporting Continuing Education Opportunities

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Promoting IEEE Fields of Interest for the Next Generation

• Leveraging $$ and volunteer resources to support future of profession through EAB’s Teacher in Service Program (TISP), K-12 student mentoring and TryEngineering.Org

• IEEE-USA sponsoring expansion of EAB’s TISP into Massachusetts, Indiana-- 568 precollege educators representing over 59,000 students in more than one-dozen IEEE Sections

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Promoting IEEE Fields of Interest For Next Generation (cont’d)

• IEEE-USA Teacher-Engineer Partnership

-- Recognizes collaborative activities between K-12 teachers, IEEE members

• IEEE-USA Teacher Grant for Innovation

-- Provides up to $1,500 for innovative projects that introduce engineering to students

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IEEE-USA Employment Assistance

Employment Navigator

• Complements to the IEEEJob Listing Service

• Uses webspiders to collect five-million job leads from 160,000 websites (companies, newspapers, etc.)

• Powerful Search Engine

• Resume Builder

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IEEE-USA Employment Assistance

Salary Service

• Member Salary Service

-- Salary Service/Salary Calculator

• Employer Salary Service

-- Salary Database/Reports

-- Compensation/Satisfaction Analyzer

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IEEE-USA Employment Assistance

Employment & CareerStrategies Online

• Virtual community with discussion groups, chat rooms, & surveys

• Useful networking tool and job hunting resources

• 2,400+ Users; 1,900 Postings• 190 Topics

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IEEE-USA Employment Assistance

Engineers Guide toLifelong Employability

• Where EEs Are Employed

• Fine Art Of Networking

• Resumes: Traditional, Otherwise

• How To Find Job Leads On Internet

• How To Ace An Interview

• What You Are Worth

• What Recruiters Can, Can’t Do For You

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IEEE-USA Employment Assistance

Career Planning and Career Survival eBooks

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• Self Assessment

• Setting Direction

• Gap Analysis

• Planning Your Development

• Implementation

Broadening Financial Services• IEEE-USA is using its communications

(e.g.Todays Engineer, webinars and other outlets) to promote:– Financial advisory services available through

IEEE Financial Advantage (e.g. Grogan Advisory Services, which are discounted as member benefit).

– IEEE-USA Today’s Engineer articles on financial planning

– 10 Tax-Favored Ways to Save for Retirement www.ieeeusa.org/careers/Guidelines/available.html

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Innovation and Entrepreneurship33

• Supporting Alliance of Consultants Networks and Consultants Directory

• New Entrepreneurs Village launched in June to mentor IEEE’s U.S. members seeking to start entrepreneurial businesses.

• Innovation Institute planned “to advance the preparation of leaders …by sharing the experiences of successful innovators in a coordinated program of interaction, mentoring and networking.”

Summarizing: 2006-2007 IEEE-USA Goals

• Offer increased member value in products, services – in response to Dec. ’05 survey

• Provide serious, career-long continuing education to maintain a competitive USA workforce, and to preserve careers

• Provide innovation leadership

• Support K-12 education for future technologists

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For More Information

IEEE-USA1828 L Street, N.W., Suite 1202

Washington, DC 20036-5104

Phone: +1 202 785 0017Fax: +1 202 785 0835

Email: ieeeusa@ieee.orgWeb: www.ieeeusa.org

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