In the News

03.18.2004

"Engineering Our Future"

by Dr. John F. Cassidy in the Hartford Courant

March 15 -10 is the National Science Foundation’s Excellence in Science, Technology and Mathematics Education Week. For the occasion, three members of the program committee of the Connecticut Center for Science & Exploration have written on the importance of science education.

Fuel cells made by United Technologies have powered all U.S. manned space flights since 1966 and have provided drinking water for the astronauts on board. Our fuel cells have logged more than 90,000 hours in space and have led to the development and production of both commercial and transportation fuel cells. Across United Technologies, thousands of engineers have contributed to our success with fuel cells.

Engineering and science are responsible for this and many other innovations that touch our lives daily. Children by nature are early adopters of new technologies. A recent study found that 90 percent of children use computers, and one of every four kindergartners taps the Internet. Still, many cannot begin to understand what makes their high-tech toys so cool. With proficiency in math and science at very low levels, the disconnect between learning and fun is staggering. Test results show that just 16 percent of 12th-graders in the United States are proficient in math and 18 percent in science. Clearly a disaster.

Elementary and high school students whose eyes are not opened to the limitless potential of the sciences and math cannot help engineer our future. Engineering degrees have been at stagnant levels for decades. Last year, more students were granted degrees in recreation and leisure studies than in mechanical engineering. Our future will only be as bright as the scientists and engineers who take us there.

Over the past seven years, the United States lost about 2 million manufacturing jobs, an 11 percent drop. At the same time, Brazil lost 20 percent, Japan 16 percent and China 15 percent of factory jobs. Increased productivity levels have driven this decline. Basically, manufacturers have learned how to do more, much more, with less. Manufacturing productivity for the past three decades is twice that of our economy overall. High levels of productivity directly translate into fewer manufacturing jobs, not just in the United States but worldwide.

As a result, the greatest need and growth will come in high-value, high-knowledge-based jobs, basically engineering jobs. The U.S. Department of Labor forecasts 2.7 million such jobs will become vacant in 2010 because of new opportunities and large-scale retirements. At current U.S. college graduation rates in these fields, less than half those jobs will be filled. At the same time, China will have graduated 2.1 million engineers. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out how this will impact America's jobs.

Better focus on science and math is needed now to maintain innovation and technology leadership. If we don't find ways to enthuse and draw students to math and science, and later to engineering, we will lose our leadership positions in technology and the world economy.

John F. Cassidy is senior vice president of science and technology at United Technologies Corp., headquartered in Hartford.