What happens when baby boomers
begin to retire? In some cases,
there are plenty of X-Gens to take over. But in specialized fields like
engineering, the domestic labor market
could see an immediate and potentially
long-term shortage.
“As seasoned baby boomers in engineering and other professional occupations begin to retire, this ‘brain drain’
will generate a big void of labor to meet
the challenging projects of today and
tomorrow,” says Kathy Golding, account
manager and staffing consultant for
Principal Technical Services. “There is a
growing demand for a variety of professional workers, a shrinking supply of
seasoned veterans, and a limited supply
of new entrants.”
Smart Business spoke with Golding
about how this shortage of talent in specialized fields came about and the
opportunities that exist for new talent,
both now and in the next decade.
Why is there a shortage of engineers and
other professionals?
You have to understand some of the history of labor in the United States over the
past 40 or 50 years. Back in the ’60s and
’70s, the country was building up its infrastructure to accommodate the baby
boomers’ population growth. Urban
development required new transportation
systems, power plants, water treatment
facilities, refineries, commercial buildings, airports, and the like. In response,
universities began to turn out engineering
graduates. At that time, there were major
career opportunities for technical people
in many fields of engineering.
But in the early ’80s, investment in new
infrastructure slowed. There were layoffs, and the same industries that had
played a crucial role in growing our
industrial economy became plagued by
sluggish growth. The outlook for career
opportunities and advancement for engineers and other professionals was not
attractive. Most schools began funneling
technically minded students into information technology. Consequently, the number of college students graduating
with bachelor’s degrees in all fields of
engineering has been falling steadily
since peaking in 1986.
Are there career opportunities for people to
enter into engineering?
Definitely yes. The population of the
United States was 235 million in the
mid ‘80s, is 298 million today, and is
projected to grow to 363 million by
2030. California alone has 35 million
residents and is projected to grow to
48 million by 2030. So there is fast
coming a time when many elements of
our infrastructure — now 30 to 40
years old — will have to be retrofitted
and updated. In addition, many new
infrastructure projects will be needed
to meet the demands of all this population growth. The truth is that there
may not be enough technical expertise
available to design and build these
complex projects.
Also, over the next few years baby
boomers are beginning to retire, taking
with them decades of experience, while
too few young, well-educated people
will be available to fill an increasing
demand of high-skilled jobs.
Besides engineers, what specific professional job titles are most in need today, and
what job titles will be most in need in the
near future?
In addition to many fields of engineering, such as civil, electrical, mechanical,
process and structural, other professionals needed would be schedulers, planners and cost-control personnel who are
familiar with Primavera and/or Microsoft Project software. Also control systems; electrical, mechanical, and piping
designers — most of whom are not degreed — familiar with AutoCAD and/or
Microstation software are needed to prepare construction drawings.
How will these projected shortages affect
corporations and their management teams?
Recruiting and retaining qualified
workers needs to remain a top priority
for companies, and those that are not
planning ahead may be left behind in the
ongoing war for talent. In the short term,
companies may need to be prepared to
pay more to attract and retain quality
employees. Companies should utilize
flexible schedules, job sharing and
telecommuting to entice their seasoned
employees to work a few more years
before retiring.
In the long-term, it is going to take the
collective actions of business leaders,
policymakers, educators and anyone
with a stake in our economic future to
ensure an abundant and well-educated
workforce. Also, such factors as Wall
Street’s obsession with short-term
results (that favor cost-cutting over long-term training) and the neglect of math
and science skills at school are contributing to a fundamental mismatch
between labor supply and demand.
KATHY GOLDING is an account manager and staffing consultant for Principal Technical Services. Reach her at (888) 787-3711, ext. 33, or [email protected].