A Career in Engineering Technology

A common question of both parents and students is, “What is the difference between an engineer and an engineering technologist?” Both options represent viable professional paths. An engineer, after much research, designs an awesome car or bridge. An engineering graduate is an innovator, one who is able to interweave knowledge of advanced mathematics, the natural sciences, and engineering principles and practices with considerations for economic, social, environmental, and ethical issues in order to create new systems and products. The engineering graduate can develop new procedures to advance the state of the art.

Now who is going to make the design come to life? An Engineering Technology (ET) graduate is a doer or implementer. He/she is one who is able to apply a basic knowledge of mathematics, the natural sciences, current engineering practices, and an understanding of economic principles in order to provide the solution for design problems and the operation or testing of engineering and manufacturing systems. The ET graduate can apply established procedures that utilize the current state of the art. The engineering technologist must be applications-oriented, building upon a background of applied mathematics, science, and engineering technology. The technologist must be able to produce practical, workable results; install and operate technical systems; devise hardware from proven concepts; develop and produce products; service machines and systems; manage construction and production processes; and provide sales support for technical products and systems. The engineering technologist will normally have received a bachelor of science degree from a TAC/ABET accredited engineering technology program. The technologist must be prepared to make independent judgments that will expedite work without jeopardizing effectiveness, safety, or cost. An engineering technology education may be a major step to registration as a Professional Engineer, but not all states allow engineering technologists to become registered.

The engineering technician is a doer, a builder of components, a sampler and collector of data. The technician utilizes proven techniques and methods with a minimum of direction from an engineer or an engineering technologist. The engineering technician will normally have received an AS or AAS degree. The technician is not expected to make judgments that deviate significantly from standard procedures. The technician conducts routine tests, presents data in a reasonable format, and carries out operational tasks following well-defined procedures, methods, and standards.

Both engineering and engineering technology require highly technical knowledge and skills that are both manual and theoretical. Most commonly, an engineering technologist, or a technician, works directly with the manufacture of and use of the product. If the engineering technology specialty is engineering materials, one might work with specialty materials for certain applications; help solve corrosion related problems, or perform failure studies on products in the field. Other career areas open to engineering technologists include environmental, safety, product packaging and distribution, plant operation and maintenance, manufacturing, and routine testing and design. The need for engineering technologists developed because of the need for graduates who have the ability to design, fabricate and test. Salaries in engineering technology fields can vary from company to company and depend on many issues. Generally, beginning salaries start in the $24,000-34,000 range. Engineers reason and develop primarily through the use of theory and simulation, while technologists work best by the application of engineering principles. Today, there is a great need in the industrial world for technologist education and the applied sciences in mathematics. There is also a continuing and growing need for more associate degree engineering technology graduates across the country. Nationally, there are 698,000 engineering technicians employed in industry with a projected 10% growth through 2006. In Ohio, the 41,970 engineering technicians employed in industry are expected to grow 5.3% through 2006. Across the country there are severe shortages of manufacturing technicians especially in tooling and machining. Project Lead the Way (PLTW) is a national non-profit organization established to help high schools give students the knowledge they need to excel in high-tech fields. According to PLTW, it is estimated that there are currently 1,300,000 engineering and engineering technology jobs available in the U.S. without trained people to fill them.

Many community colleges are reassessing their mission and the growing desire for workforce development programs in order to address this shortage. Students want programs that will lead them to a sustainable career, not just an entry-level job. Industry wants programs that will prepare graduates with the right skills and knowledge. The community at large wants a system in place to make the local community competitive in the global economy. Programs, degrees, graduates and coursework that have been indicators of success in the past are now less important than the outcomes that are desired by the workforce.

As our economy and work force continue to change dramatically at increasingly rapid rates, businesses must make a greater investment in advanced technology, improve their processes, and hire more educated workers. The faculty and staff at community colleges understand the needs and demands of today’s industries and are continuously seeking new ways to better serve the diverse needs of their students and community. A degree inengineering technology could be the beginning of an exciting career and future.

Editorial provided by George H. Sehi, Ph.D. Dean, Engineering & Industrial Technologies at Sinclair Community College.