2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Strengthening the Future Manufacturing Workforce: Exploring First-Year Engineering Students’ Awareness and Motivation toward Manufacturing Careers

Strengthening the US manufacturing competitiveness has been an issue which is widely agreed upon by the national leadership across most states. With international investments in manufacturing in the US, it is imperative that there will be a growing need for a skilled workforce in the manufacturing sector. The concepts of manufacturing, like production systems (e.g., mass production) and modern manufacturing ideas (e.g., 3-D printing), as well as the associated career paths, are mostly introduced in engineering education in the later phases of a conventional degree program. Delayed introduction and exposure of manufacturing concepts to engineering students can deter them from pursuing a career in manufacturing.

Early exposure to content in manufacturing can support students’ awareness of and motivation towards the career in manufacturing. To design effective exposure opportunities related to manufacturing, understanding first year engineering students’ impression and awareness of manufacturing would be helpful. Therefore, this study has two main objectives: O1) to understand the initial impressions and motivations of first year engineering students on a career in manufacturing, and O2) to compare the impressions and the ability to relate manufacturing concepts to the intended major of the students before and after the exposure to content in manufacturing.

To fulfill those objectives, this study aims to address the following research questions: RQ1.1) What are first-year engineering students’ initial impressions of a career in manufacturing? RQ1.2) What motivators do students identify as supporting consideration of career in manufacturing? RQ2.1) How does the content exposure to manufacturing affect students’ impressions of a manufacturing career? And RQ2.2) How do the students connect their intended major to manufacturing after exposure to content?

To answer these research questions, the research team conducted a two-phased survey study where the data collection instrument was distributed to around 325 students in the first-year engineering course of “foundations of engineering.” In the first phase survey, the students’ initial impressions, understanding and motivations were queried, and it was followed by an introductory exposure to content on manufacturing. The content was centered around the ideas of mass production, 3-D printing using metals and data analyses. In the second phase, students’ impressions and ability to relate their intended major to manufacturing were surveyed, which was conducted after the manufacturing content was presented to the students.

The information on initial motivations and the change in a student’s impressions and ability to relate manufacturing and their major choice, could help in better preparing both the instructors for developing future educational content on manufacturing processes and the manufacturing sector recruitment officials to engage with the future workforce. The findings of this study will underscore the need for introductory content for the first-year engineering students and pre-college students. This research informs a strategy for embedding manufacturing in first-year engineering education and provides a broader support to workforce development in the US manufacturing industry.

Authors

Mr. Aaroh Swarup http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2316-517X Virginia Tech [biography]

Aaroh Swarup is a Graduate Teaching Assistant in the Department of Engineering Education at Virginia Tech, where he supports instruction in Foundations of Engineering (ENGE 1215). His research interests focus on engineering education, workforce development, and early exposure to manufacturing and technology-oriented careers. Prior to joining Virginia Tech, Aaroh served as Head of International Affairs at the Indian Society for Trenchless Technology (IndSTT), where he worked on technical training and industry-academia collaboration initiatives. His academic background bridges construction engineering management and manufacturing education, and his current work explores how early experiential learning and career-oriented interventions shape student perceptions of engineering pathways.
Dr. Dayoung Kim Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University [biography]

Dr. Dayoung Kim is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Engineering Education (College of Engineering) at Virginia Tech and a Director of the LABoratory for Innovative and REsponsible ENgineering workforce (LAB-IREEN). She also serves as an Executive Committee Member and Affiliate Faculty of the Center for Future Work Places and Practices (CFWPP). Her Engineering Practice research examines the practice of engineers across a range of employment settings, including business organizations – from startups to large, established firms – and government agencies. Building on insights from this work, her Engineering Workforce Development research focuses on developing the future engineering workforce capable of contributing innovatively and responsibly within their own contexts. Across her research, teaching, and service, she aims to bridge academia, industry, and government by translating insights from engineering practice into scalable systems for education, workforce development, and science and technology policy. She received her Ph.D. in Engineering Education from Purdue University and her B.S. and M.S. in Chemical Engineering from Yonsei University and Purdue University, respectively. She was the 2022 Christine Mirzayan Science & Technology Policy Graduate Fellow at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM).
Hulya Dogan Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Mr. Kabiru Adeseun Okegbenro Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University [biography]

Kabiru Okegbenro is a Ph.D. student in Engineering Education at Virginia Tech, with a robust background in Technology Education (Building and Woodwork Technology). His research focuses on workforce development in engineering, and ethical way AI can be used in educational practices and professional training. Kabiru is passionate about investigating how engineering graduates can successfully transition into the professional world. His work examines the key factors that influence employability, workforce readiness, career progression, and long-term success in engineering fields.
Through collaboration with educational institutions, industry partners, and policymakers, he aim to enhance curricula, foster professional skills, and create pathways that empower graduates to thrive in their careers. Through his research and community engagement, he aims to bridge the gap between engineering education and workforce needs, promoting ethical and inclusive lifelong learning pathways for diverse engineering professionals.

Note

The full paper will be available to logged in and registered conference attendees once the conference starts on June 21, 2026, and to all visitors after the conference ends on June 24, 2026