New Industry Opportunities and More Flexible Programming Mark TxEEE’s Fresh Start
By Woodrow W. Winchester, III, PhD, CPEM
Executive Director, Texas Engineering Executive Education
On July 1, 2023, I celebrated my one-year anniversary as TxEEE’s executive director, and what an exciting year it has been. Reflecting on the past year and looking to the future, there are both challenges and opportunities that I face in leading and growing TxEEE.
From answering growing calls to close the domestic semiconductor talent gap and addressing the need for more flexible graduate engineering programming to exploring new markets and underserved training and education arenas, the role of TxEEE in expanding the reach of the Cockrell School of Engineering (CSE) is growing and evolving.
Specific to these challenges, TxEEE is uniquely equipped to not only respond to this evolution, but also provide the needed practice and thought leadership to drive it.
Semiconductor Workforce Development
Workforce development (WD) is not new for TxEEE. Building off the successes and learnings of legacy WD programming offered by HSTC and PETEX, TxEEE is actively partnering and collaborating with CSE departmental leadership, faculty and research centers such as Texas Institute for Electronics (TIE) to develop and deploy academic and open-enrollment (non-credit) programming to cultivate needed regional and national semiconductor talent.
As highlighted in Chipping Away: Assessing and Addressing The Labor Market Gap Facing the U.S. Semiconductor Industry, the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) projects that,
“The semiconductor industry’s workforce will grow by nearly 115,000 jobs by 2030, from approximately 345,000 jobs today to approximately 460,000 jobs by the end of the decade, representing 33% growth.
Of these new jobs, we estimate roughly 67,000—or 58% of projected new jobs (and 80% of projected new technical jobs)—risk going unfilled at current degree completion rates. Of the unfilled jobs, 39% will be technicians, most of whom will have certificates or two-year degrees; 35% will be engineers with four-year degrees or computer scientists; and 26% will be engineers at the master’s or Ph.D. level.”
Supporting CSE in addressing this WD challenge is a strategic priority for TxEEE. A particular focus will be on “expanding talent pipelines”: leveraging CSE resources and its infrastructure to architect programmatic pathways that - through meeting existing and new talent where they are at – create and foster a more robust and sustainable workforce pipeline.
Flexible Graduate Engineering Programming
Our graduate programs are growing. We had record fall enrollments in both our professional master’s degrees in Engineering Management and Mechanical Engineering programs. A key driver of this growth is the schedule flexibility these programs offer working professionals to complete their graduate studies while working full-time.
In support of further enhancing our program enhancements– a core TxEEE priority, we are intentionally integrating more options and opportunities for our students to:
- engage in faculty or industry-directed projects and/or work experiences and;
- complete industry-recognized credentials (e.g., American Society for Engineering Management (ASEM) certification).
Based on the model of the Triple-Threat-Graduate, deploying these enhancements, coupled with recent initiatives in developing elective course options, increases not only our student’s marketability but the overall value proposition of our graduate programming.
New Markets and Untapped Training and Education Arenas
The Continuing Engineering Education (CEE) landscape is changing. New markets and untapped training and education arenas reflect emerging opportunities for TxEEE. For example, beyond more traditional business-to-business (B2B) continuing education/professional development (CE/PD) engagements, TxEEE is aggressively advancing opportunities in the business-to-government (B2G) space.
TxEEE has signed a contract with Texas Health and Human Services (THHS) to deliver Lean Green Belt Certification training. This three-day course three-day course (two Cohorts) is held in-person and onsite at THHS. Upon successfully completing the post-course examination, participants are eligible to receive their Green Belt Certification from the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE) along with a TxEEE digital badge and certificate of completion.
As CEE can be appropriately leveraged to address critical skills and competency gaps in traditional engineering programming, TxEEE sought and was awarded a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Seed Grant through the Cockrell School of Engineering Center for Equity in Engineering to develop a pilot implementation of an Inclusive Engineering Fundamentals Micro-Credential.
The intent of this innovative micro-credential is to equip engineers and tech business leaders with the mindset to understand and appreciate diversity in the workplace and to collaborate, design and lead inclusively. The launch of this course is complemented by the growing equity-centered continuing engineering education and events offered by TxEEE.
In support of the positive outcomes and impacts of these efforts, I was awarded one of the 2023 Cockrell School Award for Contributions to Equity in Engineering. We are very proud of this progress and are excited about future programming in this vital arena.
TxEEE is clearly at an inflection point. Propelled by our momentum in the energy space and augmented by critical work to improve our organizational health and wellness, TxEEE’s potential to expand CSE’s reach and impact is increasingly showing value. The future is bright as we both enable and amplify CSE’s efforts in Building a Talent Strong Texas.
TxEEE’s 2023-2024 Strategic Priorities: “Expanding CSE’s reach and impact”
- Grow and enhance our professional master’s degree programs.
- Cultivate workforce development and transition (WD/T) activations in both the semiconductor and energy spaces.
- Increase organizational effectiveness and health.
