Building the Next Generation of Renaissance Engineers through Development of Unique Mentoring Programs

摘要

Packer Engineering Inc., an engineering research and consulting firm in Naperville, Illinois, has encouraged the development of hundreds of young engineers and technicians through its structured mentoring and internship programs. These unique programs go past traditional internships by emphasizing not just technical skills and abilities, but also interpersonal competencies and business acumen. This paper describes the company and its areas of expertise. It summarizes recent research on concerns for the future of the technical workforce. Each of Packer Engineering's four mentoring programs is described, and finally the paper discusses the long term significance of this effort for building the next generation of "Renaissance engineers."