Educating the master builder of the 21st century strategically

Abstract

The master builder of the 21st century depends greatly on the engineering education he or she received. However, engineering education reform is in a global crisis that is being brought into sharper focus as the world begins to confront such transnational issues as climate change, decaying infrastructure, and natural disasters. While engineers remain strong in terms of their technological skills, they are generally weak in terms of their management and communication capabilities. The need to educate the engineer of the 21st century more strategically is essential to the endurance of the profession. Developing a proposed education program through modifications of successful programs to meet the needs of the 21st-century engineer will enable engineers to acquire the skills necessary to succeed in the world economy and to grow within the domestic engineering and construction market in a more transparent manner. This paper seeks to provide the reader with a better understanding of what the master builder may be facing in his or her endeavors, of how we as a profession must elevate our public standing and increase the public's confidence in us, and of what skills may be necessary to add to one's individual toolbox to succeed in the 21st-century global marketplace. © 2011 American Society of Civil Engineers.