Meeting Professional Development Needs in Large Consulting Firm

Abstract

Knowledge expectations of civil engineers at a large consulting engineering firm extend beyond their technical specialties to include such areas as business, law, ethics, marketing, government policy, and information technology. Meeting these professional development expectations requires an ongoing commitment by the engineers themselves, the universities, and the consulting firm. Civil engineers must recognize two facts about their educational needs: There are limits to university curricula, and every engineer must commit to lifelong learning. The role of universities is to concentrate on core curricula while selectively broadening course content. There is no practical way for universities to provide curricula that are broad enough to meet the varied demands of a consulting engineering practice. Only continuing education can adequately supplement engineering degree programs. Practitioners can expand their involvement by assisting in existing courses and teaching additional courses. Consulting firms can help engineers broaden their knowledge and skills through on‐the‐job training, self education, and professional development programs. Responsibility for professional growth within the civil engineering community requires continuous improvement of university curricula and the perpetuation of lifelong learning.