National Engineer’s Week: Dream Big

It’s National Engineers Week, and that means thousands of students in elementary and high schools across the country are learning about the importance of the field of engineering.  This year’s theme is “Dream Big” and promotes the following idea:

Every project, great or small, starts with a dream. A dream to create and build. Engineers engage their creativity and technical know-how to transform dreams into reality. They are dreamers across the professional spectrum from transportation, to agriculture, to medicine and beyond.

So what does an engineer do?

As National Engineers Week notes, there are all kinds of engineers—they work in transportation, agriculture, medicine, manufacturing, and many other industries. So there’s no one thing that engineers do. But in most fields, engineers:

• Design, build, or improve engines, machines, or structures
• Are skilled at math, science, and technology
• Have a bachelor’s or master’s degree
• Are paid well
• Have good job opportunities

Learn more about different kinds of engineers using the Occupation Profile on GetMyFuture.org.  Click on any of the links below to find details about any of these engineers, including what they do on the job, how much they are paid, what kind of education they typically need, and what their job prospects look like:

• Agricultural Engineers
• Civil Engineers
• Chemical Engineers
• Computer Hardware Engineers
• Electrical Engineers
• Electronics Engineers
• Fire-Prevention and Protection Engineers
• Industrial Engineers
• Materials Engineers
• Mechanical Engineers
• Microsystems Engineers
• Mining and Geological Engineers
• Nuclear Engineers
• Petroleum Engineers
• Rail Yard Engineers
• Robotics Engineers
• Sales Engineers
• Ship Engineers
• Wind Energy Engineers

Founded in 1951 by the National Society of Professional Engineers, National Engineers Week now has a catchy title—EWeek—and is supported by a formal coalition of more than 70 professional associations and more than 50 corporations and government agencies. Read more about National Engineers Week at DiscoverE.