Students' attitudes to engineering education

Despite the global economic crisis that the world has been facing for the last few years, the demand for engineers has remained high compared to other professions. However, in spite of this high demand, few students plan to start engineering studies. Moreover, women tend to be underrepresented in engineering courses. What is the reason for this paradox, considering that one of the most widely demanded professional careers is one of the least pursued? In this paper we present tools that have been used to measure students' attitudes towards engineering and some of the results obtained in an attempt to understand students' motivations when choosing their degrees. We also put forward the gender issue, and offer some data about the participation of females in engineering studies. Finally, we propose some of the strategies and activities that can be used to encourage students to select a career in engineering.