Wireless Education: Training the Next Generation
Author: Les Besser
Hall Martin of National Instruments recently presented a threefold problem:
- Demand for RF engineers far exceeds the supply,
- New graduates are not equipped to handle the technical challenges of
the wireless industr,y
- Difficulties experienced engineers face in keeping their technical skills current while fulfilling their jobs.
These problems, compounded by the facts that universities are typically ten years behind industry and "first-generation" remote education courses are in their infancy phase, provide both engineers and their employers with cause for concern. How should technical education support and build the wireless communication products of the next millennium?
To answer this question, let us take a step back and ask, "How Will the Next Generation Be Trained?" The answers to the above questions are vital to the success of Besser Associates (indeed, to the success of any training organization), as well as to any wireless communication equipment providers who want to survive in the competitive global marketplace.
During the past two years, I asked our course participants, engineering/HR managers and executives, and university faculty members about their opinions on the evolution of continuing technical education. While the responses of these groups varied significantly, it was helpful to hear their priorities and concerns. Their remarks were diverse and far-reaching enough that one of my conclusions was that we needed to develop a compromise between economy and effectiveness.
Managers, especially those without technical backgrounds, wanted to cut cost by utilizing computer-based training (CBT) instead of instructor-led courses. One training manager told me last December that his company wanted to convert 50% of their training to some form of CBT by the end of 1999. He remarked (unofficially) that he himself felt that to be an ambitious plan.
An increasing number of managers expect engineers to contribute more to their continuing education. Their attitudes were, "If the company provides the training, true professionals should learn on their own time." One such manager stated, "We can't afford to have our engineers away from the workplace for any extended period of time. They get paid well for performing their jobs, and it is their responsibility to acquire/maintain their skills."
Other managers take a softer stand, recognizing that providing ongoing continuing education can help attract high-caliber engineers. "As long as they stay near their workplace to help out in emergencies, they can take courses on company time," sums up the attitude of management that is willing to sponsor live-at-worksite or internet/intranet-based courses.
In my experience, the vast majority of practicing engineers prefer hands-on, instructor-led courses at some remote location, such as a hotel or conference center, where they can truly focus on learning new skills, without disruptions. Direct access to a "guru" and the freedom to network with peers are also important considerations. As one engineer in a recent open course summarized, "It was great to be away from work for a week and learn about new design techniques. Last year, I attended a course at my company and my boss pulled me out of the class for a day, making the rest of the course useless to me."
Between the extremes of training where employees are either at the mercy of their employers or are physically inaccessible, I envision a new form of continuing education that combines CBT and conventional instructor-led courses. With this new training framework, students would take advantage of virtual lockers and classrooms, peer interaction and live instructors with field expertise. State-of-the-art CAE and test-equipment, electronically distributed class-notes, homework and exams would also be available to all students during a course. Since English is a universally accepted language among many professionals, courses could be offered simultaneously in various global regions, with differing time zones introducing a minor inconvenience.
Besser Associates actively participates in the development of this, and other, classrooms of the future. Our initial effort was to collaborate with RF Globalnet, offering the Applied RF Techniques-I course through the Internet and selected companies' intranets. Next, we developed a CD-based version of the RF and Wireless Made Simple course. We are currently exploring other partnership possibilities that will allow us to fully jump into CBT. Visit our web-site for future news and development in these areas.
