Recruitment In Engineering and Technology Programs Integrating Home Schoolers, Women and International Students

摘要

There is an increasing need for a technically literate workforce for the United States to maintain its leadership in today's interconnected global economy. Unfortunately, although the demand for engineering and technology graduates has increased the number of graduates has not increased for the last fifteen years. Because of phenomenon growth in emerging technologies and economic globalization it is rewarding to focus our whole hearted effort to recruitment. That is why the author has identified some promising areas such as steadily growing but relatively untapped home schoolers, women who make up 54% of the college population, and the international students eager to pursue education in the United States. The future of the engineering and technology education can be secured by enrolling the potential students from our culturally diverse society. More emphasis should be given to influence a large population of K-12 home-schooled students because their average ACT or SAT scores are significantly higher than the national average. The author will present the nationwide trend in this area in the universities and colleges including the Northwestern State University at Natchitoches, Louisiana. Women who are nearly 50% of the talent pool in science, engineering and technology will be motivated so that the stagnant or even decreasing 20% level of enrollment in engineering and technology fields nationwide may be lifted by understanding that the careers in these areas are exciting, rewarding, satisfying and accessible. Since science, math and engineering education for domestic students has been declining and the demand for engineers and technologists outnumbers the supply the author will explore the potential of international students from certain regions of the world which has decreased very much in the past few years. In the long run, they can contribute their knowledge to this country with training and working visas. The overall job prospects along with ever lasting demands in some special categories will be pointed out to the employment concerned students. The goal of this study is to motivate and lure interested students to enroll in engineering and technology majors in order to avoid technical labor shortage crisis that the nation demands and deserves.