4Truth

"Well lets look at this this way. You are basically saying there that ET's get paid significantly less than engineers."

Not significantly. It seems most sites report around $6000 difference at entry level from an engineer. But then as that technologist gains experience, he would move up to other positions within and continue bringing more savings to the company by hitting the ceiling of his pay grade around the $80k-90k mark verses what an engineer might expect to be paid for that same position coming in from outside as a new hire? ?? I don't know, I am just asking for dialogue here. All I am saying is because the BSET degree is fairly young and many employers are just now beginning to understand what the graduates have to offer (in that technologists are much closer to an engineer in training with their 4 years of school than they are to a technician with only 2 years of school), companies could begin to find it economically in their best interest to hire more technologists than they have in the past. They certainly are not hesitating to find other means of saving money -- like taking jobs to other countries, outsourcing, etc. ... and that leads me to your next comment:

"...engineers in this country do not seem to have a problem finding jobs."

I know of a few engineers in our area who have either lost their jobs or have left engineering due to this very concern above. I'm wondering if one of the ways to keep industries from considering moving out of the country will partly be a movement toward hiring more technologists.
Now please do not take these questions for consideration in any sort of negative way. I have no desire to bring frustration to anyone. I am only exploring ideas, believing that is something we can always benefit from. I like trouble-shooting and thinking of all angles and possibilities in order to avoid surprises down the road.
I'm thinking it would really be annoying for my son to grind his way through the rigourous hurdles of getting an engineering degree only to find by the time he completes it in 2013, he would have to lower his salary expectations to enter into the workforce with the kind of hands-on type job he would like because his fellow xT graduate is competing for the same position (...and most of the engineering theoretical/deskwork type jobs have been exported to India? ) Just some thoughts for consideration. ... Things are always in flux and it is prudent to keep looking ahead, reading all the signs, and preparing for new possibilities....

Thanks for bearing with me.

JoeJoe05

Okay so if ETs don't make a significant amount less than Engineers then why would it be more economic to hire them?

Your son will find a job and a good salary when he graduates.

Engineers Engineers are not going to disappear by 2013...

nmt6789

Companies see ETs as a way to save money because they can the do job of an engineer and a technician.

JoeJoe05

And I think its already been established that an engineer can do anything an ET can do and more therefore the engineer would be the more economic choice.

Bosque

Engineering Tech majors tend to SUPERVISE techs, especially in factories. They don't replace them. The big automotive manufacturers are the ones who really pushed for the major. So long as you want to work in a factory, I would say Tech is a much better choice. Anywhere else, you are going to be competing with Engineers who the companies are going to be more disposed to hire. So again, just be aware.

Treetopleaf

Bosque, what you say makes sense. I was an engineer (SAHM now) and I definitely thought that the test engineering jobs I saw would not have utilized my education fully, and would eventually have bored me.

Where I worked, technicians (without BS degrees) were shut out of management positions. We had no technologists, i.e. engineering tech majors with BS degrees.

As long as technologists can get masters degrees in their field, and can eventually advance into management, I don't see any reason not to pursue the field, so long as one knows that they may be somewhat limited in job choices.

Bosque

Engineering Tech is a terminal degree. If you go get a masters, it is going to be in a different field.

father05

weldon, I certainly misread your post (moons vs months) and frankly got the statement from a couple of the kids on here about Engs always better. My fault, my old age is getting to me I guess.

I do appreciate your input. Know that it is vauable to those reading.
I don't doubt that what you say is your personal experience. Can I ask what discipline your degree is?

ExplorerCY

BS in badassery.

weldon

ExplorerCY: I LOVE IT! Great line, only wish it was true. The truth is, I am a simple ME with an MS degree. At my job, I work in an environment with roughly 3/4 MEs and 1/4 EEs.

silverbullet

sorry for raising this from the grave, but im starting to get the feeling that different schools have different quality xET programs. I don't know a whole lot about EET, but at my school as an MET student, me and many other of my class mates are taking a couple AE (aerospace engineering) courses for a minor. The class has an even mix of ME, MET, and AE majors. Why do I bring this up? The fact that the prerequisites are met by both ME and MET says both are qualified for this engineering disipline. I dont want to bash anyone studying ME, but i've noticed there were more MET students that had less trouble with some of the combustion engine stuff in the engine class. It just clearly showed that the MET version of Thermo classes were more application based of different heat engine cycles than the ME version. Not to say the ME students couldn't do it, they were just covering more theory behind it.

Anyways as far as job hunting goes... if both the MET and ME student destroyed the FE and have an EIT status, what difference does it make?

techee

I live in Canada and have an Industrial Enginering Technologist diploma. The curiculum was nothing like a technician.. In Canada there are Universities that a person with an engineering diploma (technologist) can go to finish an engineering degree. A technologist here is certified by AETTN an engineer by PEGNL in Newfoundland and by similar organization in other provinces. Although once working there is often times no difference and companies often will hire either based on experience. It is also possible for technologists to complete other degrees a s well. For instance I completed a business degree with many credits transferred..Go to work in Alberta they don't care either way.. Supply and demand...

aarons914

thought Id bring back an old post instead of starting a new one.

Im a student at ASU in Mechanical Engineering Technology and there is some truth to what people are saying on both sides. I chose this degree because I was having trouble with calculus but still made it through Calc 1 and 2 but a lot of people in the program I can tell are similar, mostly intelligent people but who have trouble grasping Calculus.

This is the main difference in ET programs, we really don't derive many formulas but we still go over all of the same concepts and because we don't take at least 3-4 higher Math classes that the normal Engineers take, we have extra room for more applied courses. From what Ive read most engineers never really use most of that higher math so I guess you could say if you don't need it the ET degree is fine and if you do (EE's for sure) then the Engineering degree is the way to go.

On a side note I also believe that the person and not the degree is going to make the difference in the real world. There are A LOT of people in engineering programs who are very good at math and other textbook type work but ask them to design or build something without a "right" answer and they're clueless. Not to mention a lot of people in general are lazy as well.

G.P.Burdell

I know how to fly a plane, but couldn't build one on my own. If you're having a problem with your jet, would you bring it to me?

Without understanding the fundamental principals and the assumptions inherent in them, you can't understand basic engineering - all you can do is plug and chug and figure out basic cause-effect relationships.

Engineers use their "higher math" everyday. Are they solving partial differential equations? No, but they're use a method or technique that can only be solved through a PDE, so using that technique and understanding the basis means that they implicitly are using "higher math:

aarons914

I understand your logic but diff equations are hardly fundamental engineering principles, most seniors I know have all but forgot most of it by the time they graduate actually. Most of the engineers Ive ever talked to about using their Higher math say most of the time basic Algebra and Trig are the most common math used in problem solving.