Chemical, biomedical, civil, sustainability design and environmental, computer software, electrical and electronics, mechanical, materials and aerospace engineers would be required in the future. Now, you may argue with me that almost all the different disciplines that are already there, are in this list. But, have we thought of the numbers we need for the new fields like biomedical and aerospace engineering? I know that petroleum engineering is in the cards now. So we will be equipped with petroleum engineers (made in Sri Lanka) very soon. http://www.bls.gov/ooh/ gives a lot of information on these and I quoted a few which I thought of as critical.

The aging of the population and the focus on health issues will drive demand for better medical devices and equipment designed by biomedical engineers. Along with the demand for more sophisticated medical equipment and procedures, an increased concern for cost-effectiveness will boost demand for biomedical engineers, particularly in pharmaceutical manufacturing and related industries. Therefore, an engineering degree in biomedical engineering must be commenced ASAP.

More environmental and sustainability engineers will be needed to comply with environmental regulations and to develop "green" methods and buildings as we progress into the next decade. A shift in emphasis toward preventing problems rather than controlling those that already exist, as well as increasing public health concerns resulting from population growth, are expected to spur demand for sustainability and environmental engineers.

Material engineers will be needed to develop new materials for electronics, biotechnology, and plastics products. Growth should be particularly strong for materials engineers working on nanomaterials and biomaterials.

The list will be too long if I have to describe the other disciplines, but as engineers, it is our duty to inform the relevant authorities the numbers required by 2020 in each discipline of engineering in a logical manner. If you are interested in contributing with your progressive ideas on this, some space in SLEN can be reserved for you.

Udeni Nawagamuwa
nawagamuwa@gmail.com