The purpose of this project is to conduct a comprehensive, data-driven assessment of the Commonwealth of Virginia’s future workforce needs for engineers with graduate-level education. The assessment will quantify anticipated demand, compare it against the current and projected pipeline of Virginia graduates, and segment findings by engineering disciplines. The deliverable will serve as a strategic planning tool for Cardinal Education member universities and stakeholders.. Tasks 1. Estimate of Future Demand for Master’s-Level Engineers Develop forecasts of occupational demand for engineers with a graduate degree in Virginia over the next 10 years. Use authoritative sources such as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Virginia Employment Commission (VEC) projections, and industry/sector-specific growth studies. Account for drivers of demand including infrastructure investment, advanced manufacturing, defense/aerospace, clean energy, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, biomedical, pharmaceutical, and other sectors critical to Virginia’s economy. Provide both statewide totals and regional breakouts where possible. 2. Supply Analysis of Virginia Graduates Compile data from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) on program completions at the master’s level in engineering and related disciplines from public and private institutions. Include both historical trends and projected graduate output. Account for inflows and outflows: students trained in Virginia who leave the state, and graduates from outside institutions entering Virginia’s workforce. 3. Gap Analysis Compare projected demand (Task 1) against the expected supply of graduates (Task 2). Identify areas of shortage and surplus by degree level and engineering specialty. Quantify gaps in both absolute numbers and percentage terms to highlight areas of highest risk to Virginia’s economic growth. Discuss implications for workforce development policy, graduate program expansion, and alignment with industry needs. 4. Segmentation by Degree Type and Engineering Specialty Disaggregate demand, supply, and gap estimates by engineering discipline, such as: Civil Engineering Mechanical Engineering Electrical and Computer Engineering Chemical Engineering Industrial and/or Systems Engineering Materials Science and Engineering Emerging/Interdisciplinary areas (e.g., nuclear, biomedical, data/AI engineering)
