Supporting the goals and ideals of National Engineers Week.

Whereas engineers employ their scientific knowledge and analytical skills for the betterment of the United States; Whereas the mission of the National Engineers Week Foundation is to sustain and grow a dynamic engineering profession through outreach, education, celebration, and volunteerism as needed to keep the United States a global leader in engineering and engineering education; Whereas the sponsors of National Engineers Week are working together to transform the engineering workforce through greater inclusion of women and underrepresented minorities; Whereas by engaging young students, parents, and educators in hands-on science, technology, engineering, and math, engineers help them discover how they can make a meaningful difference in the world; Whereas the partnership between engineers and teachers inspires future generations of engineering and technology talent; Whereas tens of thousands of engineers and engineering students will serve their communities not only through their work but, at this time of year, by reaching into hundreds of local communities; Whereas engineers have helped meet the major global challenges of our time, including providing state-of-the-art transportation and information technology infrastructures, enhancing national security, and developing the clean energy technologies needed to power the people of the United States into the future; Whereas engineers are a crucial link in research, development, and the transformation of scientific discoveries into useful products and jobs, as the people of the United States look more than ever to engineers and their imagination, knowledge, and analytical skills to meet the challenges of the future; Whereas the National Science Board’s “Science and Engineering Indicators 2012” shows that while the number of students obtaining engineering degrees in the United States has reached an all-time high, the rates for women and underrepresented minorities do not reflect our national demographics, and the rate of growth in engineering degrees trails that of China; Whereas a 2012 survey by the Intel Corporation indicates that United States teenagers are more likely to consider a degree in engineering after learning about what engineers do; Whereas only 4 percent of the Nation’s workforce is composed of scientists and engineers, this group disproportionately creates jobs for the other 96 percent; Whereas National Engineers Week has grown into a formal coalition of more than 100 professional societies, major corporations, and government agencies that are dedicated to ensuring a diverse and well-educated engineering workforce, promoting literacy in science, technology, engineering, and math, and raising public awareness and appreciation of the contributions of engineers to society; Whereas National Engineers Week is celebrated during the week of George Washington’s birthday to honor the contributions that the first United States President, a military engineer and land surveyor, made to engineering; and Whereas February 17, 2013, to February 23, 2013, has been designated as National Engineers Week by the National Engineers Week Foundation and the theme is, Celebrate Awesome That the House of Representatives— (1) supports the goals and ideals of National Engineers Week to increase understanding of and interest in engineering and technology careers and to promote technological literacy and engineering education; (2) recognizes that engineering education is a critical component of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education and essential to improving the United States educational system and economic prosperity; and (3) ensures that technological solutions designed by the engineering community can be advanced through research, development, standardization, and innovation.

Summary: Supports the goals and ideals of National Engineers Week to increase understanding of, and interest in, engineering and technology careers. Recognizes that engineering education is a critical component of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education.