Competitions held in many fields of study, including engineering, may provide prospective students with information on what a career in these industries requires. Students who participate in these events may also learn about topics that could be featured in their future classes.
The Junior Engineering Technical Society (JETS) recently hosted its annual TEAMS engineering competition, which asked participants to come up with ideas to assist in the global water shortage, especially in areas that are recovering from natural disasters, such as Haiti.
Technology used in several engineering fields, including environmental, civil and mechanical, contributed to the students' ideas that assist with the protection and delivery the world's water supply.
Peter Carrato, Bechtel Corporation Fellow and past president of the board of director of JETS, stated that these types of competitions "show today's student just how important engineers in the various disciplines are to solving society's problems." He added that this year's topic "couldn't be more relevant to the students, given the news they have watched from Haiti as people struggle to find clean, drinkable water."
In 2008, the engineering specialization with the highest employment was civil, with over 278,400 professionals employed, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In addition, over 238,700 mechanical engineers were employed, while environmental engineering produced 54,300 jobs.
