# Presentation: 681481

## The case for technical degrees

**Elizabeth D. Sellers**
**Manager**
**U.S. Department of Energy**
**Idaho Operations Office**
**July 20, 2007**

## Industry needs well-trained technical people

- In China Today, Bill Gates is Britney Spears.  In America today Britney Spears  is Britney Spears – and that is our problem.
- ....We cannot envision the form technology will take in five years...it is changing that rapidly
-                       Thomas Friedman – _The World is Flat_

## Energy security 

- Worldwide, the standard of living is linked to energy supply.  The wealthier the nation, the more energy it requires per capita to sustain and grow its wealth.
- To obtain energy security, the U.S. and world need highly skilled technical people.
- The U.S. and world need clean, safe, affordable energy sources that don’t emit carbon dioxide and other air pollutants.

## The U.S. has lost its edge in math and science

- International students consistently outperform U.S. K-through-12 students on math and science assessments.  In 2004, the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) survey ranked the U.S. 24th out of 29 countries.
- The U.S. ranked 17th internationally in science degrees earned by people in the 18-24 age group.  Three decades ago the U.S. ranked 3rd.

## In the U.S. 

- One in three students fails to meet math and English standards.
- Nationwide, 71% of students graduate from high school.
- Only half of Latino and black students graduate from high school.
- One-third of high school graduates require remedial classes in college.
-                                                    (Achieve, Inc.)

## To remain competitive, the U.S. needs to increase degrees awarded to it citizens 

- Number of science and engineering degrees awarded to U.S. citizens is decreasing.  (Business-Higher Education Forum)
- Non-U.S. residents with temporary visas accounted for one-third of the doctorate degrees awarded in science and engineering in 2003.  (National Science Foundation)

## U.S. compared with Asia in science & engineering education

- Undergraduate degrees awarded in science & engineering:
- U.S. – About 33 percent for the past 30 years.
- China – 59 percent in 2001.
- South Korea – 46 percent in 2000.
- Japan – 66 percent in 2001.
- Engineering degrees included in above:
- China 65%; South Korea 58 %; Japan 29%.
- U.S. – less than 5 %.
-                                                               (Business Week, 12/9/05)

## U.S. compared with Asia and Europe in science & engineering education

- In 2003, 2.8 million science and engineering BS degrees were awarded worldwide.
- 1.2 million were awarded by Asian universities.
- 830,000 were awarded by European universities.
- 400,000 were awarded by U.S. universities.
-                                                             (National Science Foundation)

## Opportunity for Latinos

- If the U.S. is going to remain competitive with the rest of the world, we will need a well educated workforce.
- Latinos are the fastest growing sector of the population in this nation.   In the 2000 census, Latinos comprised 13.5% of the U.S. population.
- But only 3% of our nation’s scientists and engineers are Latino.  By 2050, Latinos are projected to be 25% of the population.
- If Latinos don’t go into science and engineering, the technological future will look dim in the U.S.

## Opportunity for women

## Salaries

## Science and engineering graduates earn more

- 2007 college graduates in engineering are being offered salaries ranging from $47K for civil engineers to $80K for nuclear engineers.
- Accountants now start at an average of $47K.
- People with marketing degrees now start at an average of $41K.
- A service industry job now starts at average of $20K.

## Math and science jobs increasing 

- More than two-thirds of jobs will require some post-secondary education.  Jobs requiring the most education and offering the best pay are the fastest growing.  (Educational Testing Service, 2003)
**1998-2002 S&E bachelor’s and master’s degree recipients, by employment sector and degree field: 2003**
- _employment sector_               _Bachelor’s_                             _Master’s_
- for-profit business                           57.1 percent                       49.1
- nonprofit                                    8.5                                     7.7
- Government                                    12.0                                   12.4
- 4-year college/university                 10.7                                   17.6
- other education                                 8.0                                  10.2
- self-employment                               3.7                                    3.0
-                                                                                              (National Science Foundation)

## DOE needs technical people

- DOE’s primary role is to provide energy security for the U.S.
- A trained, educated technical workforce is essential to DOE.
- 4,248 of DOE’s10,000 employees work in science and/or engineering.

## In 2006, DOE employed 4,248 technical people nationwide.  813 were female.  3,435 were male.  For FY2007-2010, DOE projects to hire 567 technical staff.  As the 2006 chart below indicates, minorities in technical jobs within DOE are definitely in the minority. 

## DOE nationwide, by the numbers

- Budget = $24 billion per year.
- Contracts = 46 major ones, comprising $19.2 billion of the total budget.
- DOE staff = 10,000 workers.
- Contractors’ staff = 100,000 workers.

## Nuclear enrollments grew at a rapid rate

## Nuclear Engineering Enrollments

- Academic Year 2006-2007

## Undergraduate employment   Nuclear degrees

## Masters employment      Nuclear degrees

## Ph.D. Employment     Nuclear focus