ASME vision 2030: Helping to inform mechanical engineering education

In July 2008, the ASME Center for Education formed an engineering education task force, subsequently entitled ASME Vision 2030. The committee was composed of representatives from industry and education, including both engineering and engineering technology educators. This paper provides a summary of the extensive survey effort undertaken by ASME to gather input from industry (both supervisors and early career engineers) and academia about the strengths and weaknesses of mechanical engineering graduates. The number of survey respondents totals almost 3000. This paper summarizes data highlights and relevant issues revealed by them. Of special interest to educators are the areas where the academic view is either contradictory to, or aligned with, the view of industry practitioners. In addition, the professional development needs of early career engineers provide insight into improvements needed in both current curricula and post graduate educational offerings. The salient points stemming from these data also apply to engineering disciplines beyond mechanical engineering.