PreparingtheNextGenerationofTransportationEngineers

JamesS.Bowling,PE,CityofKent

RuthA.Klee,PE,GPDGroup

RandallS.Over,PE,ODOTDistrict12

AGENDA

TheCurrentandFutureNeedforTransportationEngineersfromaNationalandLocalPerspective

TeachingtheTechnicalSkillsofEngineering

ChallengesofPreparingtheNextGenerationofTransportationEngineers

RandallS.Over,PE,ODOTDistrict12

TheCurrentandFutureNeedforTransportationEngineersfromaNationalandLocalPerspective

ReportCardGradeD+

• ASCE’s “Failure to Act” reports

• Industry Projections

Funding Needs

Current FundingFunding Gap

Annual additionalinvestment needed to achieve a “B”

ReportCardGradeD+

Report CardFindings

Report CardFindings

Highlights• The overall number of structurally deficient bridges continuing to trend downward.  However, one in nine of the nation’s bridges are rated as structurally deficient; resulting in a grade improved to C+. 

• In urban areas, which carry the most traffic, the number of deficient bridges is rising.• Over two hundred million trips are taken daily across deficient bridges in the nation’s 102 largest metropolitan regions. 

Report CardFindings

Highlights• Transit remained unchanged with a grade of D.• Americans who do have access, increased their ridership 9.1% in the past decade, and that trend is expected to continue.  However, 45% of Americans still lack access to transit. 

• Although investment in transit has also increased, deficient and deteriorating transit systems cost the U.S. economy $90 billion in 2010, as many transit agencies are struggling to maintain aging and obsolete fleets and facilities amid an economic downturn that has reduced their funding, forcing service cuts and fare increases.

Report CardFindings

Highlights• Despite the recession, commercial flights were about 33 million higher in number in 2011 than in 2000, stretching the system’s ability to meet the needs of the nation’s economy. 

• The estimated cost of airport congestion and delays was about $22 billion in 2012 according to the Federal Aviation Administration.  

• Major projects like NextGen promise to modernize our airport system, but they require full funding and planning to meet both near and long term needs.

ASCEMembers(Ages36‐50&>65)

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

35,000

40,000

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Membership Trends

Ages 36‐50

Over 65

Enrollment&Programs

USBSCivilEngineeringDegrees(ASEE 2014)(Civil/Construction/Environmental/Architectural)9,703(2005)to14,833(2014)USABETAccreditedBSEngineeringPrograms240Civil67Environmental16Construction19Architectural

SurveyofTransportationEngineers35&Younger

Baby‐Boomers‐ 1946‐1964 GenerationX‐ Early1960’stoEarly1980’s‐2015,thelargestat~80M‐‐‐‐‐ 35yearsandunder‐‐‐‐‐‐ Millennial‐ Early1980’stoEarly2000’s

…..Surveyaboutlookingforward,notcomparisonstopreviousgenerations…..

SurveyStatsSurveyStats: SentAugusttoEarlySeptember2015 19questionsviaSurveyMonkey;someallowedformorethan1answerandopenended

265respondents

CurrentEmployerSurveyquestion:Pleaseidentifyyourcurrentemployer.

60% StateofOhio,City,County,FHWA,orMPO

1% Construction

39% Consulting

ReasonsforPlaceofEmployment

Surveyquestion:Whatarethemainreasonsyouchosetoworkatyourcurrentplaceofemployment(choose2)?28% Jobstability17% Location14% Salaryandbenefits

12% Flexibilityofworkhours

10% Challengingwork

8% Opportunityforadvancement

6% Employerreputation

5% Other(work/familybalance,firstjobofferafteryearsofsearching,environment,benefits,co‐opturnsintofulltime,provideservicetosociety,rewarding,friendsandcolleagues)

CareerAspirations

Surveyquestion:Pleasechooseoneofthefollowingthatbestdescribesyourcurrentcareeraspirations?

46% Significantdepartmentalauthorityandmanagementofpersonnel21% Chiefdesign/constructionengineerw/limitedpersonnel

managementauthority12% Projectmanager/teamleaderwithnopersonnelmanagementauthority9% Design/constructionengineer8% Ownership/partner/CEOofacompany4% Other(research,technicalexpert,businessdevelopment,collegeprofessor)

LeavingtheProfession?

Surveyquestion:Inthepastyear,haveyouseriouslyconsideredleavingtheTransportationEngineeringprofession?

21% Yes79% No

ChangeProfessionto…..Surveyquestion:Ifyes,whatprofessionhaveyouconsidered?

• Oil/gas/petroleumindustry• Construction/constructionmanagement• Stayathomeparent• Teacher• Non‐engineering• Finance• Entrepreneur• Law• Screenwriter• Chef• Farming

CareerMoveoutofOhio?

Surveyquestion:Inthepastyear,haveyouconsideredmakingacareermoveoutofOhio?

28% Yes72% No

RuthA.Klee,PE,GPDGroup

TeachingtheTechnicalSkillsofEngineering

NeedforTechnicalTraining

Whyistechnicaltrainingneeded?

Todesignandconstructastate‐of‐the‐arttransportationsystemintheStateofOhio.

NeedforTechnicalTrainingReplaceretiringorupwardlymobileTransportationEngineers

TechnicalDesignExpertsProjectManagersConstructionManagers/SuperintendentsTransportationPlanners

NeedforTechnicalTraining

Surveyquestion:Howwouldyoubestdescribethemajorityofyourworkassignments?6% MoreCADDdraftingtasksthanengineeringtasks

16% Basicengineeringtasksthatarenotverychallenging

40% Engineeringtasksthataremoderatelychallenging

38% Engineering/managementtasksthatareadvancedandIlovethechallenge

TrainingandMentoringTeachbasicengineeringterminologyandacronyms

SWPPPSignal Preemption

MPOFEMA FIRM

SuperelevationESAL’s

Item MasterRFI

Semi‐IntegralHEC‐RAS

Combination Pole

PCMS

TrainingandMentoringProvideawidevarietyofdesigntasksTakealongonsitevisitsServeonasurveycrew

TrainingandMentoring Bigpicturedesign Engineeringjudgment

TrainingandMentoring

Avoidusingtheterm“loophole”

Definition: Anambiguityorinadequacyinthelaworasetofrules.Synonyms: meansofevasion,meansofavoidance

TrainingandMentoring

Paceofchangeinourindustry–canyoukeepupwithtechnology?

TrainingandMentoring

Encouragestafftousecurrenttechnologyandcomputationaltools.

TrainingandMentoringOver‐relianceofcomputationaltools

Whatshouldtheresultbe…approximately?

TrainingandMentoringPromoteacultureofhealthycriticism

Millennialsareaccustomedtounbridledpraise. Criticismshouldnot bemean‐spirited orsarcastic. Fact‐basedconstructivecriticismismotivatedbyasincere desiretoachieveresults.

TrainingandMentoring“Whydowedoitthatway?”

“BecauseIsaid so.Idon’thavetimetoexplain.”

“Becausethat’sthewaywe’vealwaysdoneit.”

“Let’ssitdownanddiscussthis.”

TrainingandMentoringDiversityandInclusion

Great ideascomefrommultipleinputsfromateamwithvariedbackgroundsandlifeexperiences.

TrainingandMentoringSurveyquestion:Whichbestdescribestheworkingrelationshipwithyourmentororsupervisor?75% He/sheisavailablemostofthetime.

17% He/sheisavailablesomeofthetime.

8% He/sheistypicallyunavailable,unapproachable,orIamexpectedtolearnonmyown.

TrainingandMentoring

ServantLeadership

JamesS.Bowling,PE,CityofKent

ChallengesofPreparingtheNextGenerationof

TransportationEngineers

SoftSkills‐ Communication

AmericanManagementAssociationSurvey(4C’s)– CommunicationSkills(80.4%)– CriticalThinking(72.4%)– Collaboration(71.2%)– Creativity(57.3%)

SoftSkills‐ Communication

SoftSkills

Great Lawn

Kent State University

Downtown Kent

Kent State University

Downtown Kent

Great Lawn?

Kent State University

Downtown Kent

Great Lawn!

SoftSkills‐ CommunicationSurveyquestion:Whatarethemostimportant“tools”thatyouthinkyouneedtobesuccessfulatyournext levelofleadership?

26% Generalcommunicationskills4% Publicpresentationexperience10% Constructionexperience13% Designexperience17% AssertivewiththoseIsuperviseandhowtomotivatestaff22% Relationshipswithclients,otheragencies,andotherconsultants8% Other

SoftSkills‐ Communication

Surveyquestion:Pleaseselectallofthefollowingsocialmediaoutletsthatyoucurrentlyuse.39% Facebook15% Twitter24% LinkedIn13% Instagram8% None1% Other(Snapchat,Pinterest,Yelp,Yammer,Reddit)

SoftSkills‐ Communication

Surveyquestion:WhatroledoyouthinksocialmediashouldplayintheTransportationEngineeringprofession?10% None

65% Publicinformationdissemination

0% Officecommunications

25% Networking

Respect/ProfessionalismSurveyquestion:Whatarethemostimportant“tools”thatyouthinkyouneedtobesuccessfulatyournext levelofleadership?26% Generalcommunicationskills

4% Publicpresentationexperience

10% Constructionexperience

13% Designexperience

17% AssertivewiththoseIsuperviseandhowtomotivatestaff

22% Relationshipswithclients,otheragencies,andotherconsultants8% Other

TeachingtheSoftSkills

•Mentoring– Mosteffectivemethod(AMA’sStudy)– Keepanopenmind– Maketime– Supportive– Modelit…

TeachingtheSoftSkills•PracticeGoodCommunication

– Rightmethod?• Text‐ E‐mail‐ Phonecall‐ In‐person

– Meetings• Agenda(formal/informal)• Summarizethekeypoints• Clear/Concise

– Training• In‐HouseTraining• ASCE/ASHE• Technicalwriting• Others

TeachingtheSoftSkills•BuildRelationshipswithclients,agenciesandconsultants

– Professionalsocietymeetings– Pre‐constructionmeetings

– Projectmeetings

– Conferences

TeachingtheSoftSkills•Practice…Practice…Practice

– Integrateitintotheirjobnow…– Communicatewithclients,agencies&others– Attend….participate….runmeetings(orparts)– Assistinpreparingandgivingpresentations

• In‐house/ASCE/ASHE• Clients

– Letterwriting(e‐mails?)….portionsofreports….draftreports

QUESTIONS?

JamesS.Bowling,PE,CityofKentbowlingj@kent‐ohio.org– 330‐678‐8106

RuthA.Klee,PE,GPDGrouprklee@gpdgroup.com– 330‐572‐3607

RandallS.Over,PE,ODOTDistrict12randall.over@dot.ohio.gov– 216‐584‐2150

Acknowledgments

• ThomasG.Powell,Lawhon&Associates,Inc.

• HollyStarr,GPDGroup

• MattYanda,GPDGroup

• DaveCoyle,ODOT

• EdSeigerst,PERetired

• Hunter,JamesC.(1998).TheServant:Asimplestoryaboutthetrueessenceofleadership.