The engineering associations that represent the structural engineering profession have made it clear —it is time to take action to “reflect the diversity of the communities we serve,” as Emily Guglielmo so eloquently described in her August 2020 STRUCTURE article, United in Action. And if we act smartly, we can not only transform how we operate and manage our profession, but we can help ensure its continued ability to attract motivated and talented young engineers, including minority engineers, into the fold.
The ASCE-SEI SE3 Committee prepared a survey in 2018 that took a deep-dive look at the profession, including its workforce diversity. That survey revealed how African-American engineers represent less than 1% of the structural engineering workforce, significantly less than the 13% share of the entire population in the United States which considers itself African-American. This appallingly low engagement calls for immediate action.
This lack of diversity can be directly attributed to the failure of the various industry programs to promote structural engineering as a worthwhile and rewarding branch of engineering. If we ask the general public, “What does a structural engineer do?” we will invariably get a deer-in-the-headlights “I don’t really know” answer. And yet, hundreds of millions of people every day entrust their lives to the work product of structural engineers, with no thoughts of “I hope the person or persons who designed this bridge/skyscraper/arena knew what they were doing!”
Structural engineers have a great story to tell. Most of us chose to enter structural engineering because of one or more of the following reasons:
- We wanted to help build large things like bridges and skyscrapers;
- We wanted to enjoy the “power” of designing something and then seeing that design become a reality;
- We enjoyed working with predictable invariants like the laws of physics, as opposed to the wildly unpredictable whims of people;
- We sought a life-long profession that would provide a sufficient income to buy a house, raise a family, and retire comfortably;
- We thought the community would respect us for performing an important role in ensuring public safety in our constructed works;
- We had someone in our lives that helped us become aware of structural engineering;
- We were inspired by the very nature of structure(s) that we see all around us.
CASE, NCSEA, and SEI can be and must become the boots-on-the-ground agents of change that can deliver this message. They can follow a similar methodology of the ACE (Architecture Construction Engineering) Mentors Program to work directly with high school students to bring awareness about the structural engineering program. But it takes more than just working with students who have already stepped into the STEAM (Science Technology Engineering Architecture Math) arena. Other industries, like the hospitality industry, use their professional organizations (for example, the California Lodging and Hotel Association Education Foundation) to work directly with inner-city high schools and set up meetings, conferences, and large events at venues like Staples Center. They bring together young students, minority industry spokespersons, and minority college students already enrolled in hospitality programs. At these venues, there are hard-hitting sales pitches on why the industry is worth participating in.
CASE, NCSEA, and SEI could follow the same path. They know what to say to these young students to make a successful sales pitch. They just have to do it.
But it takes more than letting young minds (and their parents or guardians) know about structural engineering and how it can be a rewarding and satisfying career choice. There has to be a comfort factor and a “nudge” from a trusted person who overcomes the otherwise accurate perception that structural engineering is predominantly comprised of white engineers. Minority students need the assurance that they will be welcome, nurtured, and respected. Trust must be built.
This approach will produce more qualified and motivated young minority engineers if it is done right. However, it is then incumbent on structural engineering firms and government entities, to actually hire them and give them a chance to blossom and perform. Sure, graduates from MIT and Caltech are great, but so are graduates from HBCUs (historically Black colleges and universities) like Howard University, which has a nationally-recognized STEAM program.
The term “best and brightest” should be retired. Selecting and hiring young structural engineering graduates with high grade-point averages from well-known colleges and universities does not necessarily yield the best or the brightest employees. Instead, hiring highly motivated students who know how to think, learn, plan, and work with a team will usually yield the kinds of long-term employees that will remain with a firm and be advanced and promoted. And these kinds of motivated students come in all races and genders.
By consciously trying to level the playing field and giving everyone a fair chance to be part of this wonderful, rewarding, and fulfilling occupation, our profession will naturally grow in diversity and opportunity. The time for action is now!
Dan Feger, P.E., is happily retired in Oxnard, CA, after having spent almost 42 years working for only two different employers; C F Braun for 12 years as a Principal Civil-Structural Engineer and then the remaining 30 years of his career working at the Hollywood Burbank Airport, with many roles from Airport Engineer to Executive Director. He is still actively registered as a P.E. in CA, and also has an active CA General Contractors License. He is a Lifetime Member of ASCE.