Adaptability of the
US Engineering and
Technical Workforce
PROCEEDINGS OF A WORKSHOP
Kenan Patrick Jarboe and Steve Olson, Rapporteurs
Steering Committee on Preparing the Engineering and Technical
Workforce for Adaptability and Resilience to Change
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
Washington, DC
www.nap.edu
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The workshop was directly supported by contributions from GE, the US Department of Energy Advanced Manufacturing Office, EY, Allied Minds, Dassault Systèmes, and Nicholas Donofrio. The workshop also relied on past contributions for the Making Value for America foundational report from the Robert A. Pritzker Family Foundation, Gordon E. Moore, Cummins, Boeing, IBM, Rockwell Collins, Xerox, Qualcomm, and gifts to the National Academy of Engineering Fund by Jon Rubinstein and Edward Horton. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of any organization or agency that provided support for the project.
International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-309-47180-0
International Standard Book Number-10: 0-309-47180-X
Digital Object Identifier: https://doi.org/10.17226/25016
Additional copies of this publication are available for sale from the National Academies Press, 500 Fifth Street, NW, Keck 360, Washington, DC 20001; (800) 624-6242 or (202) 334-3313; http://www.nap.edu.
Copyright 2018 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America
Suggested citation: National Academy of Engineering. 2018. Adaptability of the US Engineering and Technical Workforce: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington: The National Academies Press. doi: https://doi.org/10.17226/25016.
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STEERING COMMITTEE ON PREPARING THE ENGINEERING AND TECHNICAL WORKFORCE FOR ADAPTABILITY AND RESILIENCE TO CHANGE
Theresa Kotanchek, Chair, Chief Executive Officer and Cofounder, Evolved Analytics LLC
Linda Argote, David M. and Barbara A. Kirr Professor of Organizational Behavior and Theory, Tepper School of Business, Carnegie Mellon University
Ewa A. Bardasz (NAE), President and Cofounder, Zual Associates in Lubrication LLC
Betsy Brand, Executive Director, American Youth Policy Forum
Nicholas M. Donofrio (NAE), Fellow Emeritus and Former Executive Vice President of Innovation and Technology, IBM Corporation
Ann F. McKenna, Director, Polytechnic School, and Professor, Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, Arizona State University
Mary Ann Pacelli, Manager, Workforce Development, Manufacturing Extension Partnership, National Institute of Standards and Technology
Annette Parker, President, South Central College
Wanda K. Reder (NAE), Chief Strategy Officer, S&C Electric Company
Christian D. Schunn, Professor of Psychology and Senior Scientist, Learning Research and Development Center, University of Pittsburgh
Ernest J. Wilson III, Founding Director, Center for Third Space Thinking, University of Southern California
NAE Staff
Proctor P. Reid, Director of Programs
Kenan P. Jarboe, Senior Program Officer
Michael Holzer, Senior Program Assistant
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Acknowledgments
This Proceedings of the Workshop on the Adaptability of the Engineering and Technical Workforce was reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in making each published proceedings as sound as possible and to ensure that it meets the institutional standards for quality, objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the process.
We thank the following individuals for their review of this proceedings:
Monitor:
Linda P.B. Katehi (NAE), Chancellor Emerita and Distinguished Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California, Davis
Reviewers:
Ewa A. Bardasz (NAE), President, Zual Associates in Lubrication, LLC
Keith W. Bird, Chancellor Emeritus, Kentucky Community and Technical College System
Brian Blake, Executive Vice President and Nina Henderson Provost, Drexel University
William B. Bonvillian, Lecturer and Senior Director for Special Projects, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Venkatesh (Venky) Narayanamurti (NAE), Benjamin Peirce Research Professor of Technology and Public Policy, Harvard University
Gail G. Norris, US Lead Industry Learning Services, Digital Factory/Process Industries & Drives, Siemens Industry, Inc.
Although the reviewers listed above provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the content of the proceedings nor did they see the final draft before its release. The review of this proceedings was overseen by Janet Hunziker, Senior Program Officer with the National Academy of Engineering. She was responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this proceedings was carried out in accordance with standards of the National Academies and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content rests entirely with the rapporteurs and the National Academies.
In addition to the steering committee, NAE staff, workshop presenters, and session moderators, we thank all the workshop participants for their lively engagement in the discussion and dialogue and for all the ideas generated.
5 HOW CAN ANALYTICS BE USED TO MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT ADAPTABILITY?
Assessing Adaptive Performance in the Workplace
6 TRAINING AND ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE
Career Paths for a Flexible Workforce
Creating a Homegrown Workforce
Aligning Workforce Training with Workforce Needs
A New Normal for Engineering Programs
Evaluating an Adaptability Program
Takeaways and Remaining Questions
7 K–12 EDUCATION AND OUT-OF-SCHOOL LEARNING
8 POSSIBLE NEXT STEPS SUGGESTED BY PARTICIPANTS
B Biographies of Speakers and Committee Members
D Suggestions from Interactive Sessions