Support National Engineers Week

To All House Offices-
I am writing to urge you to co-sponsor and support a resolution authored by Rep. Daniel Lipinski honoring National Engineers Week.

Engineers are an incredibly important part of the American workforce. Engineers are also a crucial link in research, development, and the transformation of scientific discoveries into useful products — and into jobs. And engineering jobs are good, high-paying jobs with lower unemployment. In fact, over the past 10 years, growth in STEM jobs was three times as fast as for non-STEM professions.

Yet, while most parents of school-age students believe that STEM education should be a priority in the U.S., only half agreed that it actually is a top priority for this country. One way to help establish that priority is for Congress to support the celebration of National Engineers Week. For further information or to sign on as a co-sponsor, please contact Jason Day in Rep. Lipinski’s office at jason.day@mail.house.gov. The full text of the resolution is included below.

Respectfully,

James Brown
Executive Director
STEM Education Coalition
(1996 B.S. Nuclear Engineering, University of New Mexico)

RESOLUTION

Supporting the goals and ideals of National Engineers Week.

 Whereas engineers employ their scientific knowledge and analytical skills for the betterment of the United States;

Whereas the mission of the National Engineers Week Foundation is to sustain and grow a dynamic engineering profession through outreach, education, celebration, and volunteerism as needed to keep the United States a global leader in engineering and engineering education;

Whereas the sponsors of National Engineers Week are working together to transform the engineering workforce through greater inclusion of women and underrepresented minorities;

Whereas by engaging young students, parents, and educators in hands-on science, technology, engineering, and math engineers help them discover how they can make a meaningful difference in the world.

Whereas the partnership between engineers and teachers inspires future generations of engineering and technology talent;

Whereas tens of thousands of engineers and engineering students will serve their communities not only through their work but, at this time of year, by reaching into hundreds of local communities;

Whereas engineers have helped meet the major global challenges of our time, including providing state-of-the-art transportation and information technology infrastructures, enhancing national security, and developing the clean energy technologies needed to power the people of the United States into the future;

Whereas engineers are a crucial link in research, development, and the transformation of scientific discoveries into useful products and jobs, as the people of the United States look more than ever to engineers and their creativity, knowledge, and analytical skills to meet the challenges of the future;

Whereas the National Science Board’s ‘‘Science and Engineering Indicators 2012’’ shows that while the number engineering degrees in the United States has reached an all-time high, the rates for women and under-represented minorities do not reflect our national demographics, and our rate of growth in engineering degrees trails that of China;

Whereas a 2012 survey by the Intel Corporation indicates that United States teenagers are more likely to consider a degree in engineering after learning about what engineers do;

Whereas only four percent of the nation’s work force is composed of scientists and engineers, this group disproportionately creates jobs for the other 96 percent’;

Whereas National Engineers Week has grown into a formal coalition of more than 100 professional societies, major corporations, and government agencies that are dedicated to ensuring a diverse and well-educated engineering workforce, promoting literacy in science, technology, engineering, and math, and raising public awareness and appreciation of the contributions of engineers to society;

Whereas National Engineers Week is celebrated during the week of George Washington’s birthday to honor the contributions that our first President, a military engineer and land surveyor, made to engineering; and

Whereas February 17, 2013, to February 23, 2013, has been designated as National Engineers Week by the National Engineers Week Foundation and the theme is, “Celebrate Awesome,” spotlighting all the amazing things engineers do every day to make the world a better place;

Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives—

(1)  supports the goals and ideals of National Engineers Week to increase understanding of and interest in engineering and technology careers;

(2)  recognizes that engineering education is a critical component of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education and essential to improving our educational system and economic prosperity; and,

(3)  ensures that technological solutions designed by the engineering community can be advanced through research, development, standardization, and innovation.