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« 3G iPhone’s cool million... | Main | This week in gEEk: Power jobs;... »

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Engineering jobs surge on power

Well, there’s at least one positive side effect of our rising gas prices. Engineering jobs.

That’s according to a Yahoo HotJobs article this week that points to the power sectors like wind and solar as “hot” spots for engineering gigs.

Citing the US Bureau of Labor Statistics among its sources, the article claims engineers who can find better ways to capture air, solar, and wind energy will be in high demand as oil prices continue to rise. Al Gore said something to that affect at the 2007 Embedded Systems Conference in San Jose where he claimed the “climate crisis” could be an opportunity to attract a new generation of engineers who will, basically, then be called undo the damage their parent’s and grandparent’s generations did.

And while the “duh factor” on the Yahoo article’s employment demand statement is pretty high, so is the expected engineering job growth rate at 11% through 2016. That 11% is especially high when you consider the above-average salaries EEs pull in (that is, above average compared to say an insurance agent, graphic designer, etc.) and the United States shift toward stagnant or lower wages.

The Yahoo article also brings up nuclear engineers who make plants run more efficiently. When did nuclear come back as an acceptable energy source? EDN’s Paul Rako touches on nuclear in a June Anablog post “Another electric car company, another refutation,” and readers of the blog had some colorful responses, some against the source and some, like reader “Semiman,” for it.

“The engineer in me sees a 3x change in battery capacity swinging the odds in favor of the full electric [car]. I could be wrong. If I am right, we need to plan on building the infrastructure to support it. NUCLEAR POWER ... There I said it. I will take it over burning any fossil fuel or biofuel,” Semiman commented on June 10.

We’ve asked readers of this blog before if they would encourage their kids to enter engineering. The answer is almost always ‘no,’ with readers citing low salaries and a general disrespect from society at large for STEM careers. But considering the “green” movement and all the praise it, as well as the energy-saving and environmentally friendly product designs behind it, have received in recent months, would you encourage your kids to enter the power sectors? Do you believe our oil drain and climate crisis (or whatever you’d like to call it) are enough to encourage general society knowledge of and respect for what EEs bring to the table, and are they further enough to continue job engineering growth beyond 2016? Specifically regarding nuclear, is the future so bright that our next generation engineers gotta wear shades or will the public energy behind nuclear this time around be as brief as Timbuk 3’s career?

Share your thoughts below.

--Suzanne Deffree, Managing Editor, News

Reader Comments

(Add your comments)

at 7/17/2008 9:03:42 AM, Meredith Poor said:
"...where he claimed the “climate crisis” could be an opportunity to attract a new generation of engineers who will, basically, then be called undo the damage their parent’s and grandparent’s generations did." ---Just slightly presumptuous.---

at 7/17/2008 12:15:09 PM, Meredith Poor said:
The current generation of engineers has been busily creating the power semiconductors, FEA analysis used to design turbine blades and gear trains, carbon fiber composites, PV cells, batteries, and a host of other technologies that are directly if not exclusively oriented toward renewable energy. Most of the 'damage' implied in some of the above statements is really a product of the 1960's and 1970's, when the combination of rising living standards and rising population really began to hit world resources hard.

at 7/17/2008 1:55:14 PM, Brian M said:
If we keep outsourcing jobs, if we keep electing politicians who advocate free trade, if we do not shut down the H1B visa system, we will continue to empower those nations like India and China that have shown no regard whatsoever for the planet as far as being green. And, we will continue to discourage our own youth from pursuing engineering.

at 7/17/2008 2:16:11 PM, Juan said:
If you want to do Green power design, be sure to start your own company. I for one would never help develop this new technology for a large company who would control the patents. Once the hard, innovated work is done, they will simply take "their" IP and transfer it to India and China and treasonously screw their American "slaves" again. We are getting reamed by our own people. There is an immigration and job crisis, and it is the H1-B and outsourcing systems and not the illegals coming from Mexico that are the main problem.

at 7/17/2008 2:19:43 PM, W17053 said:
How little do you think Insurance Agents make??? A lot more than any Engineer that I know earns. My kids will enter Engineering (or which ever field) because they enjoy it (or the challenge), not for the money. General society may deem more respect for the EEs, but Management will continue to use them as commodities. When their salaries rise, they will hire fresh-outs to replace them.

at 7/17/2008 2:26:10 PM, Patrick said:
Following recent trends, I don't think that any of these new green engineering jobs will be coming to the US. If they do, it won't be for long. Al Gore is correct in saying that engineering needs to be done, but leaders like Bill Gates believe that engineering work needs to be accomplished outside of the US.

at 7/17/2008 2:40:33 PM, Michael said:
Quit knocking engineering salary. The sales clerks in the Capitol of Silicon Valley make $8-$12 an hour. A person can do a lot worse than $100k+ a year.

at 7/17/2008 3:00:24 PM, George said:
It is not clear what proportion of global warming is anthropomophic, and what proportion is due to natural processes. Regardless, solar power is the one renewable power source that can generate enough power to replace other primary forms of energy. It needs to be pushed from a need for fuel, energy independence reason alone. Throughout history, some engineers, such as Tesla, were exploited, while some, like Edison, became rich. Business acumen is the deciding factor.

at 7/17/2008 11:03:23 PM, ls said:
Maybe we should rename it the United States of Denial! When people use hummers for comuting, have average commutes that are over an hour each way, and live in ever bigger houses with ever more stuff, of course it has an impact on the environment. The production of CO per capita in the US leads everywhere else in the world. The good news is that Al Gore was right - if weLEAD the environtal revoltion, it will generate more jobs and a higher standard of living. By the way, that does not mean driving a hummer down to Starbucks.

at 7/18/2008 8:26:50 AM, shu said:
absolutely agree with Brian M. US has to shut off China, India....etc, not just VISA, shut off everything from those nasty places. They have no respect to IPs, they do nothing but steal, steal US technologies and sell their products "cheap" because they do not spend money to develop anything. It's so rediculous to call that a "Free Trade". All in all, US must shut off completely China, India...etc.

at 7/18/2008 8:58:32 AM, Frank said:
Here we go again! Continuation of the relentless 'engineering shortage' BS corporate propaganda to get more H1-Bs, etc. I'm with 'shu' and 'Brian'; you want more US engineers? Then get our 'leaders' to stop the traitor corporate whores from offshoring our work, stop screwing US technical workers and stop giving away our technology to Communist China and other future enemies-to-be. 'nuff said. How many times do you need to ask 'our opinions' on this??? Hell, if you really care, send all this 'feedback' to Congress! Better yet, educate yourself on what's happening to the US and read 'In The Jaws of the Dragon' by Eamonn Fingleton.

at 7/18/2008 6:49:36 PM, M. Simon said:
The way to reduce environmental impacts in the USA is to lower salaries. Engineers need to be cut more than average because they earn above average. Sending jobs to China and India is environmentally sound because it reduces consumption. The way to keep people from driving their Hummers for coffee is to see that they don''t have enough money for coffee, let alone a Hummer. If we had a government that took everyone''s money and just doled out enough for bare necessities we would be the Greenest Country on earth. Even if that didn''t work think of the reduction of envy. Next the government could go to work on people that are too tall, too smart, or too beautiful. Paradise only a correct operating government can deliver.

at 7/18/2008 6:55:58 PM, M. Simon said:
So the question is: do you want to compete against Indian Engineers who live in India where the cost of living is lower or Indian engineers in America where the cost of living is higher? If globalism is here to stay then we should be thinking of the best way to advantage ourselves. In addition Indian engineers in India pay no American taxes.

at 7/19/2008 12:15:43 AM, 2R8 / Truth said:
India and China dont sell cheap. US and Britain workers earn moredue to two reasons. 1. Get more salaries for the same amount of work 2. Have high currency value. These two are possible because they get dollars from Hell.I wont explain it. If you are not dumb, which I think Americans are, you will understand. Hating other nations or alienating them dont make you ligitimate child or dont make world a better harmonious place.

at 7/19/2008 12:18:29 AM, 2R8 / Truth said:
So mind your own 4KG business and stop whining like a child.

at 7/21/2008 9:17:58 PM, Mr. Innovator said:
Our American parents and grandparents did great work. Honor them! America led the way and will again. Those in foreign nations who are successful because of our innovation will continue doing a great job emulating us.

at 7/31/2008 5:59:23 PM, Ex comunist slave ingineer said:
What is the difference wetween gree an comunust propaganda?

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