The engineering profession is an ever-evolving one, and the future holds exciting possibilities. As technology continues to advance, the role of engineers will become increasingly important in solving some of the world’s most pressing challenges. We can expect to see engineers developing new and innovative solutions to problems ranging from climate change and renewable energy sources to health care and transportation. In addition, advances in artificial intelligence and robotics will create unprecedented opportunities for engineers to expand their design capabilities and create more efficient systems. As the world moves towards a more automated and interconnected future, engineers will become even more vital in creating the infrastructure and technology necessary to make it a reality. Ultimately, the future of engineering looks bright and full of potential.
Year after year, engineering is a highly recommended career path for young students. The engineering profession provides security and it’s evolving nature keeps the work interesting. As we progress forward, we start to see trends in the profession and different concentrations of engineering demanding more than others. Let’s take a look at the future of engineering by concentration:
Software developers have the knowledge and skills to create things that run our everyday items like computers, tablets, and cellphones. As technology grows, so does this concentration of engineering. Software engineers are always adapting to new trends in technology and breaking the mold by producing new standards. As if the median income ($103,560) isn’t enticing enough, the projected employment change is +24 percent.
The future is solar. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, solar photovoltaic installing is the fastest-growing occupation. These installers assemble, install, and maintain private and commercial solar panel setups to provide renewable energy. As more and more countries are under pressure to carbon emissions, more governments are finding the answer in solar panels. The projected employment change for this concentration is +105 percent.
Biomedical engineers create new equipment, systems, and software that is used to help advance the medical industry. Modern medicine is constantly striving to improve, so there’s no shortage of jobs for biomedical engineers. Not to mention, generations continue to live longer, more active lives. New advances in biomedical engineering will be needed to keep up with the demand for new devices and operations technology. The projected employment change in this concentration is +7 percent.
Civil engineering is a necessary part of our everyday lives. From the roads we drive on to the tunnels we go through, civil engineering is everywhere. The population only continues to grow, which means our infrastructure environment must adapt to the change. New structures must be built and also old structures are constantly being repaired or replaced. Projects like new housing, transportation, and more keep civil engineers constantly busy and employed. The projected employment change for this industry is +11 percent.
These few examples of future growth in the engineering profession are just the tip of the iceberg. When choosing engineering as a career path, it’s hard to go wrong. The industry is constantly changing and growing. Luckily, engineers that are NJSPE members have the resources at their fingertips to continue education and stay ahead of the curve within the industry.
NJSPE offers a variety of memberships for licensed engineers, enterprises, students, and engineers-in-training. Learn more about NJSPE and find a membership that fits your needs here.
NJSPE is now accepting applications for the 2023 Engineering Student Scholarships. NJSPE has implemented new scholarships to assist the brightest and most talented future engineers.
Scholarship application deadline is Wednesday, April 12, 2023 by 5pm EST. Apply today!
There are three NJSPE scholarships. The top applicant will receive a $3,000 scholarship and be named as the NJSPE Future Engineer of the Year. Second place will receive a $2,000 scholarship and third place will receive a $1,000 scholarship.
Winners will be notified that they are receiving a scholarship – but Scholarship Placement (1st, 2nd or 3rd) will be announced at the Annual Installation and Awards Dinner on June 6, 2023 at Mercer Oaks Golf Course in West Windsor Township, NJ. Winners will be announced by May 1, 2023.\
In order to complete your application, you will need:
Apply for NJSPE Engineering Student Scholarship Today Here!
As New Jersey’s state society of NSPE, we strive to represent, serve, and empower the state’s engineering professionals. Thinking about joining? We’ve compiled a list of benefits you can expect as a member of the New Jersey Society of Professional Engineers!
Protect your license
Since the start of 2016, 26 states, including New Jersey, have introduced legislation and/or regulations that would erode and even destroy PE licensure as we know it today, all in the name of job creation. NJSPE empowers its members to advocate for the future of professional engineering.
The NSPE website regularly offers resources to PEs regarding threats to professional licensure, such as the NSPE Advocacy Center, and State Watch, which alerts PEs to active and potential threats to PE licensure that have been introduced to legislative session.
Promote the profession
Being a local member gives you access to a national network of people who champion the PE license and defend threats to it. This raises awareness of the profession and encourages tomorrow’s workforce.
NJSPE is celebrating the seventh annual Professional Engineers day on August 3rd. Learn more about how you can promote and celebrate the profession with us next month here!
Meet continuing education requirements
For your convenience, NJSPE is offering educational resources that include in-person, electronic, and in-office courses. Gain access to free webinars, discount pricing on conferences and one-day events, and information on how and when to complete your continuing education credits to renew your license.
NJSPE is committed to providing courses in and around the tri-state area that will cater to those with multiple licenses and differing state requirements. View our available CE opportunities here!
Receive up-to-date news
We provide our members with the most up-to-date information on a variety of platforms, including social media, monthly newsletters, PE Magazine, PE Scope, blogs, emails and so much more. All these resources are easily accessible to members on the NJSPE website.
We make ethics a priority
Ethics are a crucial part of professional engineering. We track and discuss ethical issues with the Board of Ethical Review, offer ethics continuing education courses, and even have an ethics hotline.
Enhance your professional knowledge
We’ll help you understand the laws and regulations that define issues affecting professional engineers. You’ll also receive half off on EJCDC contract documents to reduce errors in construction.
Receive membership discounts
Members receive discounts on continuing education, industry publications, and products from Office Depot, UPS, Citrix, Lenovo, and Avitru. Discounts also apply at certain insurance companies.
Support future engineers
We constantly try to inspire and shape the next generation of engineers. We participate in Engineers Week and MATHCOUNTS, as well as fundraising activities for the NSPE Educational Foundation.
Connect with fellow PEs
Whether local or national networking is your style, becoming a NJSPE member will help you. NJSPE holds several events during the year and our national organization has online member communities. For an upcoming local networking opportunity, join us August 1-3 for this year’s Professional Engineers conference!
Located in Center City Philadelphia, this year’s Professional Engineers Conference is just a stone’s throw away for our members here in New Jersey. PECON attracts 300+ professional engineers from all over the United States for networking, educational sessions, exhibits, and presentations by industry leaders.
Learn more about this year’s conference on the NSPE website.
Join now!
Ready to become a NJSPE member? Learn more about our membership categories and practice divisions here!
NJSPE prides itself on promoting, serving, and representing New Jersey’s engineering professionals for the public’s benefit. Stay connected year-round as a member of NSPE – join today!
This is great chance for your company to get in front of hundreds of Professional Engineers.
The NJSPE is offering a menu of services to help you build your brand within the professional community
The NJSPE website gets hundreds of visits per month. The NJSPE is building an online library of training courses that are frequently visited and purchased by not only NJSPE members but Professional Engineers who are interested in our various topics. The NJSPE email database is vast, with a recent list of all licensed PE’s across the state, this is great chance to let the NJSPE market your company with little effort on your part.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE SPONSORSHIP APPLICATION
Click here to download the sponsorship form >>
Questions about the sponsorship program, please contact Patrick Stewart @ pstewart@njpsi.com
A lot of American college graduates have regrets about their major. According to a Federal Reserve Survey, nearly 2 out of 5 would now choose a different field of study if given the chance. Not to mention, regret is higher among liberal arts majors. Nearly half of those who graduated with majors in humanities, arts, and social/behavior studies regretted their decision.
Meanwhile, those who majored in STEM showed more satisfaction in their area of study, with engineering coming out on top! As an organization that constantly strives to inspire and shape the next generation of engineers, we at NJSPE were naturally ecstatic about this. Let’s break down a few factors that contribute to this satisfaction in engineering (and if you’re college-bound, why you should choose engineering as your major!)
We’ve seen time and time again that STEM majors are more likely to earn more in their careers, compared to the humanities. In this article by Washington Post, you’ll find that Engineers show some of the highest salaries, with the following areas of study all in the top 10 of earnings by college major:
Now, money can be a deciding factor when considering any major. Let’s explore a few other reasons that might lead to engineers regretting their major less.
Engineering is an exciting field that can provide graduates with a whole world of opportunities. It’s a great field that offers different pursuits you can follow based on any personal or career interests that you feel passionate about. In addition to some of the top earners in the field, some common engineering majors might include:
When it really comes down to it, engineering can apply to virtually any field, because wherever there are problems, someone is needed to engineer a solution!
STEM fields have been on the up and up for the past ten years, all the while many humanities fields are caught in a downward spiral. The number of graduates in engineering has increased over 50% since 2011. There are a couple reasons for this. Firstly, many young professionals sought more secure career prospects in the wake of the financial crisis. The nationwide pro-STEM campaign over the past several years undoubtedly factors in, especially as the humanities and arts come under fire for being low earning, ‘worthless’ degrees.
Job security is another factor that contributes to American graduates regretting their major. It’s helpful to know that in the case of engineering, career opportunities within the industry are projected to grow in coming years. According to an article by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there should be over 139,000 new engineering jobs created by 2026 (compared with 2016).
What do you love about being a professional engineer? Do you ever wish you’d done something differently? Let us know your thoughts! NJSPE prides itself on promoting, serving, and representing New Jersey’s engineering professionals for the public’s benefit. Stay connected year-round as a member of NSPE – join today!
Want to share your industry news with the world? NJSPE is dedicated to recognizing our Chapters and individual members on their Engineering achievements. Help us celebrate the professional engineers of New Jersey through the NJSPE Member News and Recognition Submission Form!
Are you advancing in the Engineering profession? Have you spoken at an engineering conference, received an engineering award, or hosted an Engineering focused event? Let us know so we can share your achievements and accomplishments with your colleagues! No achievement is too small to apply!
Why do we do this? As New Jersey’s state society of NSPE, we strive to represent, serve, and empower the state’s engineering professionals. Your achievements help us to inspire current and future engineer professionals. And by recognizing your accomplishments as a PE, we’re encouraging tomorrow’s workforce to follow in your footsteps. This will help us strengthen awareness of both the engineering profession and NJSPE.
More details about the NJSPE Member News and Recognition Submission Form and submission process can be found here. Submit your news-worthy details today! Approved submissions may appear in Newsletters, social media, member communications, or our website! If you have any questions or issues logging in, please email Christina Goldstein at cgoldstein@njpsi.com.
Keep up to date with the latest from NJSPE in our monthly news briefs! NJSPE prides itself on promoting, serving, and representing New Jersey’s engineering professionals for the public’s benefit. Stay connected year-round as a member of NSPE – join today!
Looking for new ways to get involved? Here at the New Jersey State Society of Professional Engineers, we empower our members to form their own interest groups!
Over the past few years, NJSPE leadership has recognized that not all members participate in their local chapter. Therefore, it endeavored to refine its structure to allow flexibility and options for those members who wish a different outlet for involvement within the engineering profession. Interest groups can be founded between licensed Professional Engineers, as well as those on the path to become a PE.
In late 2007, NJSPE leadership approved some major changes in our organizational structure. To address above-mentioned members who may wish to participate or form working groups around a specific interest, the NJSPE Board of Directors has adopted a method by which statewide interest groups may be formed. There are some minimum requirements for such formation, but they are easy to achieve and have the backing and support of the entire NJSPE family.
These interest groups can be founded on any number of topics related to professional engineering. They might relate to employers, areas of technology like environmental sustainability, social networking, or promoting careers (for example, working with students interested in engineering). However, the possibilities are virtually endless!
The New Jersey State Society of Professional Engineers provides a collection of documents and templates to serve as resources in the formation of new interest groups:
We hope these resources can assist in the formation of your new interest group. NJSPE prides itself on promoting, serving, and representing New Jersey’s engineering professionals for the public’s benefit. Stay connected year-round as a member of NSPE – join today!
Hurricane Ida, a powerful category 4 storm, left all of New Orleans and southeast Louisiana in the dark when it completely destroyed the electric grid. The true scope of the destruction is just beginning to come to light as six people have lost their lives and more than one million are left without power. Officials are warning some residents that it could be 21 days before power is restored. They also say it could be five days until the water and sewer system is up and running again. Unfortunately, this is a pain that many New Orleans residents know all too well. Hurricane Ida arrived exactly 16 years to the day after Hurricane Katrina. One fortunate result of Hurricane Katrina was the construction of New Orleans’s storm-risk-reduction system.
New Orleans’s storm-risk-reduction system is a 14.5 billion dollar system constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and other local, state, and federal agencies. It consists of flood-walls, levees, and a pump system to siphon out excess water. So far the system has worked successfully through Hurricane Ida’s landfall. The construction and execution of New Orleans’s storm-risk-reduction system is only one example of the important role engineering plays in hurricane destruction prevention and relief.
When it comes to destruction prevention from natural disasters such as hurricanes, Civil Engineers are our first line of defense. When designing infrastructure they must take into consideration the ability to withstand extreme winds, flooding, and rain-induced landslides. Buildings within hurricane prone areas must be built differently than those more inland. For example when heavy wind pushes against the roof of a building, negative pressures against it can cause the roof to become detached. Once a roof is detached from the building, the whole structure becomes weak and has the potential to collapse. To avoid building failure, the Civil Engineer must know that anchoring the roof to the foundation of the building is key to defending the building against destructive high winds.
In the wake of a deadly disaster Civil Engineers also provide relief by disaster mitigation. Disaster mitigation minimizes the suffering of individuals affected after a natural disaster. This is done by building shelters, streamlining logistical strategies for reducing food and water shortages, and facilitating evacuation routes. In addition engineers have assisted with the rescue of individuals by the use of drones. Drones can be used to capture images and locations of people who need to be rescued. This is an easier, safer, and more efficient rescue effort than having a team physically search for stranded people via boat.
The importance of engineers both before and after a natural disaster, such as a hurricane, can not be overlooked. Engineers assist in the strategies to prevent destruction and in the relief efforts exerted after such destruction takes place.
Has a lack of diversity in engineering limited the profession’s success thus far? Engineering and STEM fields, in general, tend to be primarily occupied by white males. As a professional engineering society, we recognize that diversity within our industry is so important. Professional engineers across the country are working to raise awareness, start a conversation, and take meaningful steps to make a difference within the engineering profession. While we can’t change our past, we can take control of the future.
The call for diversity in engineering has become more urgent. Last June, NSPE President David Martini, P.E., F.NSPE, delivered a statement on the growing protests across the country and in his own state of Minnesota. He reminded all members that basic human decency and the NSPE Code of Ethics demand that “Engineers shall treat all persons with dignity, respect, fairness and without discrimination.”
He continued: “As professional engineers and leaders in our communities, we are committed to applying our talents and knowledge to make the world a better place for all. The events we are witnessing make us all painfully aware of the work that remains to be done to address the root causes of this societal ill and heal its wounds, and underline the imperative, as a profession, of putting our own house in order.”
It’s time to start a conversation and recognize why diversity equals success for the future of engineering!
Diversity means introducing and encouraging the profession of engineering to all races, genders, nationalities, and sexualities. Women and racial minorities make up a very small number in the grand scheme of the engineering industry. Currently about 13 % of Engineers are female and on average they earn 10 % less than male engineers. A problem engineering has had in the past is that from K-12 education, we’re not encouraging and presenting the opportunity of joining the STEM fields to all. The future of engineering depends on diversity for many reasons:
A lack of diversity is directly related to a deficit of talent and loss of potential innovation. The capacity for success in the field of engineering is not at all curtailed by race or gender. In the past by not encouraging diversity, the engineering industry is likely missing out on talented individuals!
Greater diversity brings a large range of perspectives to the table. With more of these brains working together, you can imagine that innovation, growth, and financial success would be increased. The Peterson Institute for International Economics’ 2016 survey , of 21,980 firms from 91 countries, found that having women at the C-Suite level significantly increases net margins.
According to the US Census, more and more infants being born today fall into the “non-white” category. The future society is going to be more diverse and the workforce will likely not be dominated by all white males. The engineering industry needs to make efforts to diversify now to move with the shifting demographics.
Every professional engineer must complete an ethics course in order to keep your professional engineering license in good standing. Additionally, the code of ethics for engineering says that engineers shall treat all persons with dignity, respect, fairness, and without discrimination.
Diversity in engineering is so important to the overall success in the industry, not just from a financial standpoint but also because if we’re not taking diversity into consideration, we’re missing out on new perspectives and ideas that could push this industry forward!
Be a part of the conversation by joining a professional engineering society today! Learn more about joining NJSPE.
Structural engineers have compiled the probable sequence and speculated over the initial trigger of the fatal collapse of the 12 story Champlain Towers in Surfside Florida. The fatal collapse has claimed a dozen lives and left 149 individuals unaccounted for. Allyn Kilsheimer, a veteran engineer and founder of KCE Structural Engineers, has been hired by Surfside to investigate the collapse. The investigation into the collapse will likely take months and may never find a single definitive cause.
It has been reported that in October 2018 an engineer, Frank P. Morabito, had discovered “major structural damage” to a concrete slab below the pool deck in the section of the Champlain Towers South condominium building. Morabito stated that waterproofing below the pool deck and entrance drive had failed, allowing for damaging leaks and limited water drainage. Utilizing this information, a surveillance video, photos, and the original 1979 plans, structural engineers are beginning to piece together this disastrous collapse.
While examining images of destruction experts observed indications of “punching shear failure,” in the parking garage below the building. Punching shear failure of foundation, defined by Neenu S K editor of The Constructor, occurs when there is a localized force acting on the structure. It is mostly found in foundations but also common in flat slabs. When the total shear force exceeds the shear resistance of the slab, the slab will be pushed down around the column, or this can be viewed as the column being punched through the slab.
“There is a possibility that part of the pool [area] came down first and then dragged the middle of the building with it, and that made that collapse, and then once the middle of the building collapsed, number two, then the rest of the building didn’t know how to stand up and it fell down also, number three.”stated Kilsheimer
The president of the Structural Engineering Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers, Joe DiPompeo expressed his beliefs that there must be “a very specific sequence of events that somehow evaded all the fail-safes in the code and everything else.”
