An Update on Electronic Technology Education

Over the past year I have been busy with my job as a magazine editor but I have been active in the ET field with my work for the Maricopa Advanced Technology Education Center (MATEC) in Phoenix. This is an NSF funded project and I am working on the Esyst grant where we are putting together a new AAS degree program that is a better fit with industry and the technology in general. We are into the 3rd year of a 3 year project so progress has been made.

The declining enrollment problem seems to have mitigated a bit and in fact during this down turn I bet we will see some increase in community college active in electronics. The alternative energy programs are bringing in some new students as is biomed and electric power. We did lose a few AAS programs over the past few years but those who have survived have made some curriculum changes and updated here and there and some even added new programs. While enrollments are much less than they ever were in the past, there are still ET jobs out there if we can just get the students interested. Maybe this downturn will help.

The Esyst program I mentioned has taken the existing core courses most schools offer and enhanced them with a more systems view of electronics. Less analysis and design, less emphasis on components and circuits and more about systems and equipment. More test and measurement and troubleshooting. That's what employers seem to want these days. You don't need to know how to bias a BJT, you don't ever have to do a mesh analysis with determinants. Who does that at all these days anyway, including engineers?

If you are looking for a way to update your curriculum, the Esyst approach is worth considering. Go to the website at www.esyst.org and take a look. And for a first hand look, go to the HI-TEC conference in Scottsdale July 19-22. We are having a workshop on the Esyst project. Check out the MATEC website at www.matec.org for details. And I will be talking about my experience with Esyst deployment at the ASEE conference in Austin, June 15th.

Hope you have a great summer.
LF