BOISE STATE UNIVERSITY, Idaho — A recent survey highlighted the gap in Idaho between engineering jobs available and the number of engineering graduates to fill them.
- A study by the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) found that only about 60% of engineering graduates stay and work in Idaho.
- An employer survey indicates that in 2023, there were 1,953 engineering-related job openings in Idaho compared to 1,289 graduates from both public and private institutions.
- On October 19 all of this was presented to the Idaho State Board of Education in an effort to show the need for more engineers.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story.)
Idaho's growth is bringing a lot to the Gem State but with expanding industries comes the need for more engineers
"There's probably a little bit of a lag because one of the key points is the pipeline of the students who are going to come through," said JoAnn Lighty, Dean of Engineering at Boise State University.
In a recent study done by the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, they found only 60% of engineering grads stay in Idaho for work.
In 2023 there were more than nineteen hundred open engineering jobs in the state with fewer than thirteen hundred graduates. A gap that Lighty wants to see filled.
"My board is going to recommend to the state to say what can we do to make sure we also have a pipeline as well as sustain the engineering programs that we have within the state," said Lighty
Junior Nuha Akhtar says she chose her engineering degree because of how many industries it can apply to.
"Putting yourself in a major that gives you the tools to learn and adapt is pretty helpful and that's kind of why I chose personally as well. it's like I want options, and this is what's going to get me there," said Akhtar
And being in a male-dominated field, Akhtar sees the industry expanding more as more women choose this major.
"It's been great to see more girls coming into the shop, especially at the shop we focus on doing tours and doing outreach to get more girls open and exposed to these types of things," said Akhtar.
The engineering innovation studio is one-way interest in engineering can continue to grow in Idaho... as some hope that de-mystifying the field will lead to more enrollment.
"I think if we can change that mindset a little bit, I think that will help bolster numbers and enrollment in the university, enrollment in engineering specifically," said Grey Beaudry, new product development specialist with Techhelp.