Engineering Interests

Interest among young people in engineering careers is growing, as evidenced by increased enrollment at engineering colleges. In the job market, entry-level positions attract plenty of resumés, but mid- to senior-level talent is harder to come by

By Lisa Gibson

Hesham El-Rewini, dean of the University of North Dakota’s College of Engineering & Mines in Grand Forks, says engineering students today are choosing that career field for three main reasons: they want to make a difference in all the fields engineering impacts; they like the broad array of career options engineering affords; and they enjoy the skill set acquired through their education and training.

Enrollment in UND’s College of Engineering & Mines has doubled since 2008, when ElRewini came to the school. “That’s a huge increase that shows the interest in engineering,” he says. Still, the U.S. falls behind worldwide in total engineering graduates each year. Of all the degrees in all fields earned this year from colleges and universities across the nation, 4.5 percent are in engineering, El-Rewini cites. To compare, 12 percent of all Europe’s degrees are in engineering and 30 percent of China’s. “We need to do something about this,” he says. “There is a demand and we need to fill this demand with those engineers.

“UND will do its part to be relevant to this new generation of students and fulfill the demand — produce engineers who can move this country forward.”

Disciplines and Decisions

Engineering affects almost all industries, El-Rewini says, citing health care, music, movies, gaming and more. “Students see the contribution of engineering in almost all walks of life. They like that they could be engineers, to do hardcore engineering, and also they could be influential. They could be difference-makers. They could have a high impact on all these other fields.”

When El-Rewini was in engineering school, the motivation was different, he says. “I was good at math, good at science and I liked to tinker with things. … Now, the conversation is different. Now, we call ourselves not only problem solvers, but we are solution seekers.” Today’s engineers predict problems and develop solutions before the problems occur, instead of waiting for the problems to arise to fix them, he explains.

UND’s College of Engineering & Mines offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, civil engineering, electrical engineering, petroleum engineering, geology and geological engineering. In addition, the college’s Institute for Energy Studies focuses on energy and environmental engineering. Chemical, civil and petroleum engineering each account for about 14 percent of the school’s students, electrical engineering gets about 19 percent, 6 percent choose geology and geological engineering, and the majority — 35 percent — choose mechanical engineering, El-Rewini says.

The majority of students in the two-year engineering transfer program at Bismarck State University focus on mechanical or civil engineering, says Jennifer Kessler, assistant professor of engineering at BSC. At BSC, engineering students earn an Associate of Science, with the intent of completing an engineering degree at a four-year institution. “The majority of our students that are in our engineering transfer program are coming to BSC with the understanding that they’re going to be getting an engineering degree when they complete their degree. … They know their freshman year, ‘These are the classes I’m taking. I’m going to be an engineer.’”

A broad engineering bachelor’s degree prepares students to go to grad school, allowing for changes if the student decides to take a new path, Kessler says. Master’s degrees are imperative particularly for students who want to be professors or want an advanced education in their chosen field, El-Rewini says. In a competitive job market, the improved knowledge and skills obtained through master’s degrees can be an advantage over competitors for jobs. Many engineers return to school for advanced degrees after they’ve begun their careers, he says.

Job Market

The job market in science industries is driven largely by the national economy, Kessler says. “When the economy is doing well, people are building things. And when people are building things, they need engineers, they have money for innovation. If the economy is good, that’s a pretty good indication the job market will be wide open.”

But it also depends on a job-seeker’s area of specialization, she says. “Everything is cyclical. Nobody is impervious to periods of job scarcity.”

According to North Dakota Job Service, employment in the architecture and engineering sector in the state is projected to grow by 8.6 percent of 2014 levels by 2024 — a total of 524 new positions. Civil engineering in particular, is projected to see 178 new positions by 2024.

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The job market for engineering graduates is generally good, Kessler says, but they need to set themselves apart from all the other grads if they want to be front-runners for entry-level jobs. “If you can get out of college with a good GPA, that’s a good starting point, but there are several people graduating with the same GPA as you,” she says. Students at BSC and UND are encouraged to get internships, involve themselves with projects and challenges on campus, and make connections, Kessler and El-Rewini say.

“We definitely like to see internships on the resumés, whether it’s with us or another firm,” says Michelle Miller, recruiting manager for KLJ, in Bismarck. “There are just some things you’re not taught in school. … We do bring a lot of entry-level individuals into our organization. We need that talent pipeline, obviously, as people move on in their careers or people retire, we’ve got to backfill their roles.” The number of fresh-graduate applicants for entry-level jobs at KLJ has declined slightly, she says.

Recruiting mid-level and senior-level engineers, is tougher, Miller says. “When we post positions at that level we definitely have fewer resumés coming in the door compared to an entrylevel position.” It can be even more difficult in certain areas like North Dakota, where employees often are comfortable in their positions and loyal to their employers. She says there has been a slow uptick in KLJ job openings outside of North Dakota.

Miller points out that KLJ doesn’t exclusively look for candidates with bachelor’s degrees or higher. “We do look for four-year degrees that relate to the field we’re recruiting for, but we’re also looking for two-year associate, technical degrees, as well,” Miller says. “Both degrees are excellent and we have a home for both those types of positions here.”

Both Kessler and El-Rewini say graduates who involve themselves on campus and in the engineering field during their education generally have little trouble finding employment or being accepted to graduate school programs after graduation. Both schools offer plenty of project options for students to gain hands-on experience, and evolve as the engineering industry does. The College of Engineering & Mines recently added a new building to its campus, complete with high-tech classrooms and the Big Idea Gymnasium, a place El-Rewini calls the “idea factory” for students to work together in interdisciplinary teams to solve specific challenges assigned each month. “This is the time for innovation, for creativity and we value that,” El-Rewini says.

As interest in engineering grows in general, Miller says KLJ has noticed the crop of candidates is evolving, too. “We’re starting to see more diverse candidates in those pools,” she says. “We’re starting to see more female engineers and that’s exciting.” PB