The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1952-12-04
Executives May Find Needed
Engineers Close To Home
BY RICHARD FIsKE
Ter Sam DaWson

ocutiveS who are worrying over q
shortage of engineers may find
some Of the answers right in their
own offices.
At least this is one of the beliefs
Of the National Society Of Pro-
fessional Engineers after a survey
Of 4S5 companies employing 100000
engineers.
A large majority saic they had q
serious need for engineers they
were unable to fill. They estimated
they need approximately 1900 this
fall and an additional 5000 by next
spring.
The society believes that some
relief from this tight situation may
be found in pooling the experiences
Of the companies they surveyed.
Some of the reporting companies
already have gone far toward
solving the problem by better work
planning and the use Of technical
personnel for routine jobs.
A few executives found that
careful study Of work assignments
and a re-shuffle of jobs actually
turned shortages to 5urpluSes.
Many of the companies said one
of the most productive methods of
fully utilizing engineering man
power was the use of technical
personnel to relieve engineers OF
routine duties.
The survey showed that Of more
than $50 employees with engineering
degrees, only 70 per cent were
assigned engineering >uties.
A. professor at a leading engi-
neering college commented: "A
good cree re man resentS time
spent in al details"
Some companies are using tech
meal assistants for drafting and
designing, cost accounting, and
preparing charts and graphs.
Many of these technical aides
are recruited from specialized in
stituteS, where courses cover IL
months to two years.
This training, the survey reports,
gives them the skills and funda-
mental theory to carry out the in
structions Of engineers.
Some companies suggested more
use Of people specially trained by
the armed forces--or by industry
itself.
And several educators suggested
more effective use Of engineering
students who wash out" while in
college.
Women In engineering?
Current employers Of women en-
gineers are quite satisfied and
many others indicated they would
employ women If they wer@ avail
able.
Some Of the reporting companies
suggested more industry,supplied
scholarships for worthy students
and supplementary sources of in
come to help attract competent
men to the teaching profession.
Many felt incentive helped re-
duce the turnover in engineers
such incentive as opportunity for
advancement, stability Of employ
ment, chance to receive extra
training and a profit shari:g plan.
They were asked too whether
they thought demand fer engineers
was temporary. The answer was a
resounding mo"
Progress in the various fields of
''human comfort they said, will
take up any slack as the defense
program levels off.
Needs for engineers are increas-
ing constantly, they add, due to
such things as development ~ the
production and processing Of food,
synthetic fibers, new techniques
for home and industrial heating
and air conditioning, advances In
radio, television and sonic and OPP
tic transmission.
The air and jet-propelled age
calls generally for increased engi-
neering, they said.
Reports indicated the number
Of engineering graduates for the
next 10 years will not meet the
continuing demand.