it’s more traditional and not as innovative or exciting.”
The United States is currently grappling with a severe shortage of civil engineers, a situation that is particularly pronounced in Washington. The demand for civil engineers is rapidly outpacing supply, as government entities at all levels invest heavily in infrastructure projects. However, the number of individuals graduating with civil engineering degrees is dwindling, while a large chunk of the existing workforce is set to retire. This imbalance is causing a surge in competition and price inflation.
Kaylie Mattingly, a recent graduate from the University of Washington’s civil engineering department, exemplifies this trend. She was inundated with job offers from local firms almost a year before her graduation. This scramble to secure her services is indicative of the broader crisis in the civil engineering sector, where there are ample opportunities but a dearth of qualified professionals to fill them.
This shortage of civil engineers is particularly acute in Washington, which already boasts the second-highest number of civil engineers per capita in the country, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Despite this, there are still not enough engineers to meet the demand generated by the numerous large-scale projects underway in the state, ranging from waterfront overhauls to multimillion-dollar light-rail systems.
The situation is further exacerbated by the declining enrollment in civil engineering programs at universities. For instance, both the University of Washington and Washington State University report stagnant or decreasing enrollment numbers. This contrasts starkly with the burgeoning interest in engineering fields related to robotics or artificial intelligence, which are seeing a boom in student interest.
In this digital age, many students are drawn towards fields like electronics, computers, programming languages, and coding. They perceive these areas as more innovative and exciting compared to traditional civil engineering. However, this shift in interest is contributing to an engineering bottleneck that threatens to stymie the state’s ambitious infrastructure plans.
A survey conducted by the Washington State Department of Transportation in late 2022 revealed that the average number of bids per design-build project had halved, while the cost estimates had surged. Over a third of the contractors or industry representatives surveyed cited a lack of capacity as the reason for not submitting a bid.
The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials corroborates this trend. They report that staff shortages are prevalent at all levels, with civil engineering being particularly affected. In a recent survey of 28 state departments of transportation, all reported struggling with a lack of civil engineers, with some posting vacancy rates as high as 25%.
This shortage is set to worsen with the passage of the bipartisan infrastructure bill. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the number of civil engineering jobs will grow by 5% over the next decade, outpacing the national average. However, in 2021, only 21,000 individuals graduated with a civil engineering degree, a decline of nearly 1% from the previous year.
In conclusion, the United States is facing a critical shortage of civil engineers, a situation that is particularly pronounced in Washington. This shortage threatens to stymie the state’s ambitious infrastructure plans and could potentially lead to a surge in competition and price inflation. As such, it is imperative to take proactive measures to address this issue, such as promoting civil engineering as an exciting and fulfilling career choice to young students.
