Continuing Engineering Education: One Element of Lifelong Learning for Engineers

This paper focuses on continuing engineering education (CEE) as distinguished from degree-oriented education and retraining. In its complementary role to work assignments, supervision and coaching, and career planning, CEE is a means for helping individuals develop themselves in order to accelerate the process of "joining up," perform more effectively on current jobs, prepare for new jobs, gain greater personal satisfaction from their work, and enhance their identiflcation with or commitment to an organization. Societal forces (such as new technology, decreasing mobility, tight supply of technical professionals, slow-growth economy, and intensity of foreign competition) are highlighting the importance of CEE in the 1980's and 90's. Factors determining the usefulness of CEE are discussed. The primary obstacles facing CEE and suggestions for meeting them are described.