What the Aircraft Industry Expects of Recent Graduates in Technology 720348
A survey was made of 162 engineering supervisors in 54 companies in the aircraft industry to determine to what extent their manpower needs have been filled by technology graduates. This paper reproduces the questionnaire, including a tabulation of the responses. The major findings were that such graduates are available, capable, somewhat inflexible, expendable, and promotable only to a point.
In discussing the replies to the questionnaire, the author notes that in the present economic climate engineering departments are not operating under normal circumstances. Technologists are available, but are not being hired because of personnel cutbacks. He cites the situation as a challenge to produce a technologist who can provide support for engineering activity as well as adapt to changing job requirements.
Areas in which technologists can make significant contributions, namely, design, project engineering, and electronics, are discussed in detail. The limitations of current technology graduates are also examined.
