Why Aren't Colleges and Universities Preparing the Workforce of Tomorrow? Too Few Jobs, Yet Too Few Workers: Engineering Colleges Are Overlooking an Opportunity

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MANUFACTURING WORKFORCE REDUCTIONS AND OUTSOURCING of manufacturing operations overseas have reportedly cost 2.7 million American workers their jobs in the last four years. Yet, many manufacturing jobs lie unfilled for months as companies seek workers with the skills they need for these jobs. So, how can we have too few jobs for our workers and too few workers for our jobs--at the same time?

The answer ies in a lack of the proper skills--the skills that would qualify available workers for available jobs. U.S. firms have proven they can compete with lower wage producers using the productivity gains that advanced information systems and automation technology afford. These …