Next to teaching, engineering has the largest number of professional practitioners, and electrical engineering encompasses the largest number of engineers. (Source: The Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineering, Inc.)

The median first-year salary for graduating engineering students, as of January 1, 2002, was $47,000. The highest paying branch of engineering for experienced professionals was in petroleum engineering, with an annual median at $114,600. (Source: National Society of Professional Engineers)

National Engineers Week always coincides with George Washington’s birthday. Washington’s surveying skills led to his title as first U.S. engineer. On June 9, 1778, at Valley Forge, General George Washington issued an order calling for engineers and engineering education. (Source: American Society of Mechanical Engineers)

Partners in Education, a program of the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce, works with area school districts to promote engineering careers through career exploration programming and Project Lead the Way. Project Lead the Way is a national organization with middle & high school curriculum to help schools give students the knowledge they need to excel in high-tech fields.

Studies of Project Lead the Way’s (PLTW) curriculum have proven that PLTW students become the kind of prepared, competent, high-tech employees U.S. industry needs to stay competitive in the global market. This success along with the need for engineers in our community, the PLTW Advisory Committee has a number of activities planned for National Engineers Week and will continually promote engineering careers to area students.

Local National Engineers Week activities include:

n Tuesday, Feb. 19, 9 a.m., NWTC Manufacturing Technology Center, Room MT104 – Press conference for announcement of new Manufacturing Engineering degree program through a partnership between Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, University of Wisconsin – Green Bay, and University of Wisconsin – Stout.

n Tuesday, Feb. 19, 4 p.m., Green Bay Schools District Office, Room 138 – Project Lead the Way Certification & Banner Orientation sponsored by Green Bay Schools Technology & Engineering Department.

n Thursday, Feb. 21, 5-7 p.m., NWTC Manufacturing Technology Center, Room MT104 – Open house to highlight the fabulous careers available in engineering and showcase NWTC engineering-related programs. Open to students, parents, and community members.

For more details about engineering career information, career programming including Project Lead the Way, and the above activities, contact Nancy Schopf, Partners in Education, Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce, 593-3413.

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Established in 1882, the mission of the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce is to promote economic and community development. Chamber programs include Advance, Partners in Education, Leadership Green Bay, Brown County Teen Leadership, Current Young Professionals Network, Good Government Council, the International Business Development Program, and the Small Business Council.

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