The road from freshman composition to international manufacturing, student's story

Abstract

In 1987, the ideas of the North Atlantic Free Trade Area (NAFTA) were formed into a set of international laws that now shape the future of US manufacturing. This shape does not look promising for those seeking technical careers in domestic production. For engineering students, communication and language skills are now as important as advanced math and physics. Educators and employers agree that, apart from technical skills, an engineer's communication abilities determine career success. With domestic assembly and manufacturing on the endangered species list, students and faculty must strive to bridge the gaps in education to include internationally-oriented communication curricula.