Employers in the Charleston area will soon have another quality labor talent resource in the engineering field. The College of Charleston has announced that it will be expanding its offering for engineering majors with a new bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering. If you are a current or prospective employer in the region or are thinking of studying engineering locally, this is exciting news for the industry and the growth of engineering jobs.
The Outlook for Electrical Engineers
Electrical engineers design, build, test, and maintain electrical systems that power machinery from computers to rockets to cars. Engineers face excellent job prospects in an industry that continues to grow.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were over 328,000 electrical engineering jobs in the U.S. last year, and there will be close to another 11,000 positions created over the next decade. The median annual wage for electrical engineers in 2019 was $98,530.
People who earn this degree work as both electrical engineers and electronics engineers. Electrical engineers design and analyze the use of electrical power to develop or improve products. Electronic engineers typically design, analyze, and maintain the electronic components that products, software, and other applications use.
New Electrical Engineering Degree in Charleston
The College of Charleston (CofC) is already one of the area’s largest employers. Now, it is also helping both students and local companies with its expanded program. In June 2020, the college announced that it would offer a new bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering, pending approval by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
The new program aims to give students the knowledge and tools they need to design, analyze, and implement electrical systems relevant for many industrial applications in the Lowcountry. The CofC’s goal was to create a direct pipeline of talent into some of the area’s largest employers.
To have the greatest impact, the college consulted a task force made up of leaders and engineers from Boeing, Mercedes-Benz Vans, Bosch, Sapience Automation, Hill-Rom, Capgemini, and AmplifiedAg. That group identified an unmet need for electrical engineers with specific skills and knowledge.
The CofC created its systems engineering program in 2019. It plans to enroll the first students into the new electrical engineering program in the Fall 2021 semester. It has also signed a memorandum of agreement with Clemson University that would create a pathway for graduates of CofC to continue on to Clemson for a Master of Engineering in Electrical Engineering.
Is your business interested in moving to or expanding its operations in the Charleston area? The outlook is positive, and there are excellent opportunities in commercial real estate throughout the region.
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