Reshaping higher education
Posted April 24, 2007
In his book The World is Flat, Thomas Friedman amplified the awareness that higher education must adapt to increasing global changes if the next generation of workers is to be prepared to compete in the worldwide work force.
Over the past decade, advances in technology have altered the way we live, work, and learn. In many ways, global connectivity through computers, e-mail, teleconferences, and webcasts has leveled the playing field for future engineers. Engineers of the future must be equipped with skills that will give them an edge over rivals prepared to do the same job for less money.
This issue was recently addressed in the National Academies’ “Rising Above the Gathering Storm,” a report on globalization written by a committee of leading U.S. engineers, scientists, and educators. “A substantial part of our work force finds itself in direct competition for jobs with lower-wage workers around the globe, and leading-edge scientific and engineering work is being accomplished in many parts of the world,” notes the report. “Thanks to globalization, driven by modern communications and other advances, workers in virtually every sector must now face competitors who live just a mouse-click away in Ireland, Finland, China, India, or dozens of other nations whose economies are growing.”
With corporate globalization on the rise, skill is being characterized as a commodity. The result is less emphasis on hiring individuals and more on hiring for specific abilities.
Time for change
“Tough Choices or Tough Times,” a 2006 report published by the New Commission on the Skills of the American Work Force, addresses the issue of competing in a global economy by offering proposals for fundamental change in the system of public education in the United States.
The report suggests that the problem lies with education and training systems, not with educators. The report notes that many of the educational systems currently in place were built for another era, one in which most workers needed only a rudimentary education. To prepare graduates for success today, educators must take a look at how they are teaching and evaluating students as they progress through the system.
The report outlines recommended changes to the current education system that reflects the demands of the 21st century. Since the 1960s, the engineering curriculum has concentrated almost exclusively on analytical, problem-solving skills. By the 1990s, the focus shifted to include non-technical skills including teamwork and communication. In the new economy, engineers will need be even more technically proficient and innovative, possess strong communication skills, and be willing to adapt to change, concludes the report.
To reach this goal, educators will have to remain focused on developing standards for engineers that reflect today’s needs while keeping a close eye on the ever-changing climate of tomorrow.