Changing the Status Quo in Environmental Engineering Education in Response to Emerging Markets

Abstract

The job market and skill needs have been expanding for environmental engineers requiring more interdisciplinary training and global citizenship. The 1970s was a decade of regulatory activities, the 1980s was a decade of major environmental disasters, the 1990s was a decade for global awakening, and the first decade of the 21st century is becoming the decade of concern for increasing global environmental stress. In parallel with the environmental trends, the environmental engineering programs have evolved from strictly water/wastewater focus to interdisciplinary programs with a wide selection of courses such as computer science, meteorology, aquatic biology, and ecology in addition to the classical environmental engineering curriculum. Advancements in science and technology, changing demographics, new delivery structures, changes in educational programs and policies, new regulatory requirements, increased global interactions, and recent large scale events with significant environmental impacts have increased the needs for engineers who are trained in environmental engineering discipline with adequate skills for addressing the emerging challenges. This technical note presents the emerging job markets and the corresponding skill needs for environmental engineers to respond to current and evolving environmental challenges both at regional and global scales.