This robust strength carries over into other transportation industries. Increased levels of rail traffic, as well as the normal levels of attrition, are the source of the new jobs. Indeed, rising levels of trade and economic activity around the world are driving the growth of transportation. Reflecting the good times, General Motors and Ford Motor Co. have regained the top spots on the Fortune 500 list, released in mid-summer. But automobiles and vehicles also represent significant opportunities for most other engineering specialties.
Electrical engineers carry out design and production of electrical and electronic subsystems.
Industrial and manufacturing engineers pitch in on the assembly lines, designing more efficient assembly methods and better use of robotics. Underlying all this technological focus is the pervasive use of computers and software. Successive waves of software development in manufacturing have led to highly automated systems that gather production data as they are created. Data related to quality control and inventory levels are monitored constantly. CAD systems have reached a level of capability that enables designers to build practically an entire vehicle on the computer screen.