Technologists and technicians: Two- and four-year programs offer hands-on education in electronics and computers to complement the engineer's skills in activities ranging from research to manufacturing

Few engineers work ort a shoestring budget, in a small laboratory, and with no supporting personnel. The large size and scope of many electrical engineering projects and organizations call for subdividing engineering tasks. Technicians and others versed more in the practice of engineering concepts than in design and theory are playing important roles. Two- and four-year educational programs have emerged in the last two decades in hundreds of colleges and universities in the United States to provide industry with such a work force. Graduates are grounded in what is called engineering technology, and they are ready, with hands-on experience in electronics and computers, for productive careers in industry. Graduates usually receive more specific training on the job, in programs lasting for from a few weeks to several months.