EDUCATING TOMORROW'S TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERS

This paper discusses issues and trends in transportation and their implications for engineers and for engineering education. The discussion is supplemented with examples of what has been done at the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to enhance engineering education and training. Conclusions are drawn about impacts for education and industry. With respect to education, it is indicated that an impact must be made on all levels of education in order to produce the model engineer; greater emphasis must be placed on developing individual capabilities commensurate with the individual's ability. With respect to industry, implications are discussed with regard to the experienced engineer, the engineer-in-training, the engineering profession, and the involvement of industry in education. Various techniques are identified to avert the danger of stagnation of experienced engineers, including job rotation, retraining, in-house training, and continuing education. The engineer-in-training should be challenged as early as possible to perform to the full extent of his or her capability. For the engineering profession, it is necessary to develop and promote the image of engineering and the attractiveness of engineering as a career path. Industry's involvement in education can take several forms, including encouraging employees to run for membership on local school boards and to be guest speakers, adopting a secondary school type of program, providing summer jobs and internships, making funds and equipment available to institutions of higher learning, encouraging employees to assume adjunct faculty positions, and encouraging full-time faculty to accept a short-term appointment to industry as a visiting scientist.

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/sr/sr210/sr210-005.pdf
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0039039142
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Larson, Thomas D
  • Haack, Harvey
• Conference:
  • Conference on Surface Transportation Education and Training
  • Location: Williamsburg Virginia, United States
  • Date: 1984-10-28 to 1984-10-31
• Publication Date: 1985

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: References;
• Pagination: pp 90-99
• Monograph Title: TRANSPORTATION EDUCATION AND TRAINING--MEETING THE CHALLENGE
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Board Special Report
  • Issue Number: 210
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0360-859X

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Conferences; Education; Engineers; Human resources management; Training; Transportation careers
• Uncontrolled Terms: Human resources
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Education and Training; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; I10: Economics and Administration;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00468169
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0-039-03914-2
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Apr 30 1988 12:00AM