Following that assumption (which may or may not be accurate), there would then be many more positive engineers than the few who commented in the original blog. From there, let's assume…or dream…that engineering isn't such a bad deal. That it's a respectable, fulfilling, rewarding profession.

How, then, do we encourage younger generations to pursue engineering?

Doing so must start at the beginning: recognition. Someone has to recognize that a child is so inclined, as mentioned in Part II. Whether parents, teachers, or older siblings—someone has to PAY ATTENTION. If, for example, a child is drawing (well) or fascinated with things like bridges, tall buildings, Legos (Here's a good read: "Princeton Students Stoke Young Imaginations with 'Lego Engineering.'"), planes, cars, motorcycles—or takes things apart AND puts them back together again—there's a potential engineer in our midst. Buy the kid more and better drawing tools. Get him or her involved in science fairs, and guide them (Don't do the work for them.). Take them to museums. The kid in me—as well as a bit of the adult—still loves, for example, Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry.

From an IEEE Spectrum article, "U.S. Science and Technology Museums"…

"…one theme resounds over and over: children want to explore the physics of the world for themselves with their own bare hands. They want to punch buttons, push levers, build things, test their creations, mix primary colors on a computer screen, and so much more, all in their own way and in their own time. This hands-on discovery seems to be especially important for younger children, whose interest may otherwise be frustrated. Invariably, live demonstrations were a hit with kids, no matter the museum or the topic. Demonstrations given by teenagers instead of adults were especially popular."

If you work on your own car or fix things around the house, let them help you. Granted, doing so means that the job will take at least twice as long. Nonetheless, it's time exceedingly well spent. So many things that we can do to start 'paying it forward,' as one reader put it, are right in front of us.

What about when they're older? Let's say when they're teenagers?

From the ASEE (American Society for Engineering Education) Engineering K12 Center…

"Have you ever wondered who created that spine-tingling ride you love so much at the amusement park? Have you ever thought about why today's cars are more fuel-efficient and cause less pollution? Or who came up with instant messaging? The answer is engineers. If you want to change the world through innovations like these, a career in engineering will help you do it."

The above illustrates at least two things. a) Organizations and efforts do, in fact, exist to encourage careers in education. b) While, to an adult, such a site is well-presented (or at least to this adult), who knows about it? I found it in three results pages deep in Google. While I've occasionally had less than glowing opinions about The Dark Side (marketing), marketers are nonetheless critical in creating awareness where it doesn't currently exist, and raising it where it does. Marketers have a challenge ahead of them with efforts such as these since, if a site like this appears so deep when someone is looking for the information, a young person who (chances are) is not looking will never happen upon it. That's a damned shame. Note to marketers: GET SITES AND PROGRAMS LIKE THIS IN FRONT OF YOUNG PEOPLE. c) While you're at it, try something different, Mr. and Ms. Marketer: KNOW and CONNECT with your audience. While the above verbiage is mildly interesting (the roller coaster part is cool), no, the average 15 year-old could give a #$%^ about why today's cars are more fuel efficient. Um, folks, they're obsessed with the opposite sex, having a driver's license, reading Import Tuner, and what's happening with NOPI. What? I'm sexist and thinking of the male element only? Nope, as females are, apparently, a key element (staying with this example alone) of NOPI. While I don't consider myself to be a conservative in any form, I am a Dad. As such and in this context, wouldn't it really be better to get some of these young ladies into engineering—maybe even into competition and getting their hands dirty to beat the boys—than into skimpier clothes?

If we want to inspire the young to pursue engineering, we first have to reach them. We're not doing that, and the above site and those like it—while admirable in intent—aren't doing that. If you market to tweens and teens, learn about NOPI as a start. Matter of fact, perhaps ThomasNet—with your feedback and involvement—could create a program to inform and entice the young about engineering. Here's another idea: Let's build a killer import once the ThomasNet.com Chopper contest is done—and use that to draw young people to the program. (We could even do it right, far beyond fart mufflers, lowering springs, subwoofers, and Altezzas. Build something that will attract national attention from younger and older alike. Maybe even work with the folks at Tuner Transformation. Everyone wins.)

It's easy to blame others. It's easy to blame the educational system or the teachers themselves. It's easy to blame the government and 'leaders' who'll get nary a vote out of encouraging engineering careers. It's easy to blame other countries, corporate greed, individual greed—those outsourcing bastards. (Hey, I do it, too. Sometimes, it's even fun.) Justifiable though such finger-pointing may in some cases be, perhaps we need to start smaller, more simply. At home.

It's much tougher to actually shut up and do something.