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HFame Academy for Engineers?
(Dick Selwood)
We have all seen Fame Academy, Pop Idol /American Idol, The Apprentice and the like. Should we be pushing for a TV reality show on selecting embedded engineers, particularly software people? Given the anecdotal evidence, the producers of such a program would have difficulty finding enough people to put together a panel big enough for a final round, let alone a first round.
The problem exists in all areas of electronics, from EDA through manufacturing to system developers, and in most geographical markets. It regularly crops up in conversations and seems to be part of a general trend away from Science/Engineering/Technology in Western countries.
A quick browse around some recent publications shows that a lot of work is going into analysing the problem, but nobody has yet come up with any serious suggestions as to how it can be solved.
For example, IEEE USA’s today’s engineer ran a long piece in February about the need for embedded engineers by Mike Anderson, with the sub-title Why the United States is losing its edge in embedded systems…
His argument is that a lack of training for embedded engineers is forcing them to learn while doing, resulting in poor quality products. There are few degree courses in embedded engineering. Electrical /electronics and computer engineering graduates have the understanding of computer architecture, and he feels that they can be brought up to speed on software in a matter of months. However Anderson says that computer science courses are now more like information technology. The focus on databases, web design and a smattering of java prepares the students for jobs that are commonly off-shored. [more]
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