President Obama’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness plans to increase the number of graduating engineers in the U.S. by 10,000 a year and the number of hands-on training and internship opportunities by over 6,000 a year, in order to stay competitive in the global market, according to an Aug. 31 press release.

The CSUN engineering department website lists the program as ranked on top for fastest growing undergraduate engineering programs in the nation.  The American Society for Engineering Education also ranks CSUN’s program as one of the highest in the country as far as ratios of bachelor degrees to faculty members; meaning that the department produces a large number of graduates given its size.

“Our economy is based on technology,” Dr. Robert Conner, engineering professor, said.

Concepts and ideas that go along with engineering transcend through many different professions, and the materials are in everything, Conner said.

A multitude of jobs and positions can come out of studying engineering, from civil engineers who work on the country’s roads and bridges to electrical engineers who develop and test computers, lighting, and other electronic equipment, according to the U.S. labor bureau.

Engineers are curious about how things work and how they are put together, they solve and create concepts that have changed the world, Conner said.

“As a kid I was always interested in computers and how they worked,” Philip Abellanosa, 20, electrical engineering major, said.

The Job Council said it has helped us to reach the point as a country of being the world’s leading innovator, though this status is at risk if these new opportunities are not created.

Civil engineering major Farnaz Vakili, 22, said an increase in graduating engineers and opportunities for engineering majors is a great thing and something to be excited about.

Engineering careers are among the highest paid in the country and are also among the most plentiful in the country, Conner said.