Positions of Power

Abstract

This article discusses the reasons behind shortage of engineers and engineering jobs in the United States. Power generation faces shortages of people at all levels with the skills required to get big new projects designed, approved, funded, and built, which is largely the result of three decades of little new investment. With the anticipated workload, it is little wonder that power-generation industry leaders are deeply worried about the supply of engineers between roughly 2015 and 2040. Research shows that the utility companies reduced their engineering staffs in the 1990s, and vital skills have gone away. Those engineers took jobs with contractors and consulting firms, moved to other industries, or retired. The disappearance of traditional energy–industry career paths has worsened a long-term US educational problem—the shift away from science and math by students and educators. Experts suggest that industry’s answers to job shortage challenges include persuading engineers of the older generation to work past normal retirement age and developing knowledge transfer initiatives for engineers entering the workforce.