Engineering Technology Running head: Engineering Technology; The Phantom Occupation of Distinction ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY The Phantom Occupation of Distinction By Paul R. Clark July 14, 2014 Revised May 28, 2015 Engineering Technology 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Abstract……………………………………………………………………………….. 1 The Nature of Work…………………………………………………………………… 2 International & Domestic Definition……………………….…………………. 2 - 4 Definition of Acquainted Occupations………………………………………… 4 - 5 Work Distinction………………………………………………………………………. 5 – 8 Absence of Distinction………………………………………………………… 8 - 9 Job Titles………………………………………………………………………………. 10 Census of Jobs or Workers…………………………………………………………….. 11 Types of Employers……………………………………………………………………. 11 – 12 Job Placement Problem………………………………………………………... 13 - 14 Education & Training………………………………………………………………….. 15 Concerns with Central Accreditation Control………………………………… 16 – 23 Licensing……………………………………………………………………………… 23 – 30 Industrial Exemptions……………………………………………………….... 24 Professional Trade Associations………………………………………………. 26 Public Safety Matters…………………………………………………………. 30 - 32 Tools & Technologies………………………………………………………………… 32 - 33 International Engineering Technologist……………………………………………….. 33 - 35 Three Tier System Adoption………………………………………………………….. 35 Apprenticeship Programs……………………………………………………………… 36 Inequality Concerns…..…………………………………………………………….. 36 - 40 Conclusions……………………………………………………………………………. 41 - 43 References…………………………………………………………………………….. 44 - 58 Appendix……………………………………………………………………………… 59- Paul Clark 06/03/14 1 Abstract This document is a public comment prepared for the Bureau of Labor Statistics to aid in the development of the engineering technology Standard Occupational Code (SOC). The United States occupational codes are used widely by both government agencies and private corporations to establish the occupational distinctions which are used in development of various organizational structures. It is the goal of this paper to identify the unique contributions that engineering technologists provide for our society and to explain why this distinction must be created. Engineering Technology 2 Nature of Work The following is a summary of standards required to satisfy the registration benchmarks for recognition as an International Engineering Technologist as specified in the Constitution of the Engineering Technology Mobility Forum (ETMF). “The work should have required the exercise of independent engineering judgment , the projects or programs concerned should have been substantial in duration, cost, and/or complexity, and the applicant should have been personally accountable for their success or failure. Applicant may be taken to have been in responsible charge of significant engineering work when they have: (a) planned, designed, coordinated and executed a small project; or (b) undertaken part of a larger project based on an understanding of the whole project; or (c) undertaken novel, complex and/or multi-disciplinary work.” (ETMF Forum, 2014, p6) The ETMF Constitution provides a good international definition but the US definition is different. A US definition for engineering technologist is as follows: “Engineering Technology is that part of the technological field that requires the application of scientific and engineering knowledge and methods combined with technical skills in support of engineering activities. The engineering technologist must be applications-oriented, building upon a background of applied mathematics, science and engineering technology. The technologist must be able to produce practical, workable results; install and operate technical systems; devise hardware from proven concepts; develop and produce products; service machines and systems; manage construction and production processes; and provide sales support for technical products and systems. The technologist has a 4 year BSET degree.” (UNC, 2014, p1) Paul Clark 06/03/14 Engineering Technology 3 Another definition for engineering technology in the United States is provided from the American Society of Engineering Educators. “Engineering Technology is the profession in which knowledge of mathematics and natural sciences gained by higher education, experience, and practice is devoted primarily to the implementation and extension of existing technology for the benefit of humanity. Engineering Technology Education focuses primarily on the applied aspects of science and engineering aimed at preparing graduates for practice in that portion of the technological spectrum closest to product improvement, industrial processes, and operational functions (Engineering Technology Council, 1992), (ASEE, 2014, p1). Some additional information is provided. “Curriculum also includes advanced math and physics coursework and business classes designed to develop students' critical-thinking and project management skills” (Ed. Portal, 2014, p1). Engineering technologists are defined by the following panel of experts. “A Delphi panel of 14 experts identified 37 tasks performed by/qualities needed by manufacturing engineering technologists. Most important were work ethic, performance quality, communication skills, teamwork, computer applications, manufacturing basics, materials knowledge, troubleshooting, supervision, and global issues” (Zirbel, 1993, p23-33). Paul Clark 06/03/14 Engineering Technology 4 The following definitions of related fields are often confused with the proposed engineering technology occupation. The definitions are provided to compare the differences between occupations. The Definition of a Technician “Engineering technicians work in a variety of unique work situations, often aligned with professional engineering and architecture fields and each with a fairly distinct set of knowledge and skill requirements. The work involves functions such as research, development, design, evaluation, construction, inspection, production, application, standardization, testing, or operation of engineering facilities, structures, systems, processes, equipment, devices, or materials. Basic knowledge and skills are transferable from one specialization to another. The positions do not require professional knowledge and abilities for full performance and therefore do not require training equivalent in type and scope to that represented by completing a professional curriculum leading to a bachelor’s degree in engineering or architecture” (OPM, 2007, p10). The Definition of an Engineer The American Society of Engineering Educators (ASEE) and the Engineering Council for Professional Development (ECPD) defines an Engineer as follows: "The creative application of scientific principles to design or develop structures, machines, apparatus, or manufacturing processes, or works utilizing them singly or in combination; or to construct or operate the same with full cognizance of their design; or to forecast their behavior under specific operating conditions; all as respects an intended function, economics of operation and safety to life and property." One who practices engineering is called an engineer and those licensed to do so have formal designations such as professional engineers, chartered engineers or incorporated engineers. The broad discipline of engineering encompasses a range of specialized sub- disciplines that focus on the issues associated with developing a specific kind of product, or using a specific type of technology. Engineers borrow from physics and mathematics to find suitable solutions to the problem at hand. They apply the Paul Clark 06/03/14 Engineering Technology 5 scientific method in deriving their solutions. If multiple options exist, engineers weigh different design choices on their merits and choose the solution that best matches the requirements. The crucial and unique task of the engineer is to identify, understand, and interpret the constraints on a design in order to produce a successful result. It is usually not enough to build a technically successful product; it must also meet further requirements. Constraints may include available resources, physical, imaginative or technical limitations, flexibility for future modifications and additions, and other factors, such as requirements for cost, safety, marketability, producibility, and serviceability. By understanding the constraints, engineers derive specifications for the limits within which a viable object or system may be produced and operated. Engineering is a key driver of human development” (Britannica , 2013, p1). The definition acknowledges Incorporated Engineers as full engineers. The Incorporated Engineer is declared significantly equivalent to an engineering technologist. (Sydney Accord, 2014) Work Distinction . The following comparison provided by the Difference Between website explores the distinction between the two occupations. “Technician and technologist are two different terms. However, these two terms are interrelated. Most people think that these terms mean the same but, when one looks a bit closer, one will find that they are different in many aspects. A technician and a technologist differ in their educational levels and responsibilities. A technologist has a greater role than a technician. A technician is just a person with a practical understanding of technology. A technician has a good knowledge of the general principles of the field he is in, whereas, a technologist is a person who is completely aware of various technologies. A technician works under a technologist. A technologist’s position is above that of the technician. First of all, when comparing their education,