The face of mechanical engineering has changed dramatically. Engineers between 55 and 60 are retiring, bringing their valuable knowledge with them. They will be replaced by young engineers who are focused on specialization and branching out into sub-disciplines.

These insights and others were provided by ASME, The American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Mechanical Engineers, a 130,000-member-strong worldwide professional society.

“In the next 5 to 10 years, the challenge will be: how do you transition knowledge at companies like Boeing? People are coming out of school with a different perspective, and the information is changing so quickly,”Karen Ohland is Senior Vice President, Knowledge and Community Sector at ASME.

Companies are increasingly opting to experiment with new technologies. “20-somethings”Work-study positions. Companies will test these engineers part-time in order to assess their abilities — reestablishing apprenticeship programs as an important pathway into the profession.

MEs also point out that engineers of younger generations are more likely to job-hop than their predecessors. It is not common to work for one employer for your entire career. Career mobility is becoming the norm in major companies like GE, which will continue to attract engineers with outstanding skill-building potential.

Senior engineers today worry about the ability of engineers to work with new technology. ME John Blanton is the Principal Engineer for Heat Transfer at GE Power and Water. “Engineers are people who enjoyed ripping apart their lawn mower and putting it back together! Young engineers today need to know about the manufacturing process and how parts work in a machine.”

Additionally, many engineers who are more experienced believe that their younger colleagues are too focused on work and don’t see the value of ASME membership. Blanton joined ASME in his student years, realizing that the society was full of people who have done what he wanted. “Getting involved in the local ASME section allowed me to meet local academics and people working in the business,”He stated.

Jen Jewers, an experienced refrigeration engineer at Henderson Engineers, Inc., Texas, offered another perspective. “It’s encouraging that there’s a lot of focus on trying to recruit women and minorities into the field, but we’re not there yet. Colleges are doing a lot, however.”

Monster.com reports that four million engineers are looking for work worldwide. The site also predicts an 11 per cent growth in the field up to 2018.