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INSIGHT ON HIGHER EDUC ATION By Karla Wotruba Prepping for a profession Which college majors will pay off in Northeast Wisconsin? A UW-Oshkosh faculty member and student work together in the Department of Geography and Urban Planning lab in December. Students pursuing bachelor's degrees will find their employment opportunities expanding, particularly when they add internships that supplement their education with practical experience. I hiring is up 10.2 percent over last year, according to a recent study conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers. In some fields in Northeastern Wisconsin, demand has remained strong, and is projected to get even stronger. "Plastics," was the career advice n a tough job market, even those earning a bachelor's degree may wonder which industries are hiring, but there is good news. New college graduate that Mr. McGuire famously gave young Dustin Hoffman in the 1967 movie "The Graduate. New North, that advice would be "Engineering. " www. insightonbusiness.com " Today in the "Engineering demand is through the roof," says Jeff Sachse, regional economist for Northeast Wisconsin with the state Department of Workforce Development. Data for the third week in April showed openings in the New North for 80 mechanical engineers, 35 electrical engineers and 30 industrial engineers, and "that's a pretty typical week." Northeast Wisconsin's strong manufacturing base keeps demand high. "The manufacturing sector always has a strong demand for engineers and that demand has increased as manufacturers have embraced more high-tech forms of production, " says Sachse. engineering degree programs are in the works. According to UW- Oshkosh's College of Letters and Science, UW-Oshkosh just recently received the entitlements to plan three new majors in engineering technology – electrical, mechanical and environmental. These will be joint programs with UW-Green Bay, and the school is working in collaboration with area two-year colleges and technical colleges. "There's lots of support in our with other schools in the state to help meet the region's need for engineering degrees. UW-Fox Valley partners with the engineering program at UW-Platteville, while UW-Green Bay partners with UW-Milwaukee. NWTC has a manufacturing engineering program which it offers through UW-Stout. However, local four-year Area colleges have collaborated community to have that program," says Jaime Page-Stadler, director of Career Services for UW-Oshkosh. Another highly sought-aſter degree is computer science. "We do not have a great supply, but the demand is severe, Page-Stadler says. "If we could triple (the number of graduates), " [continued] » June 2012 • INSIGHT | 29 COURTESY OF UW-OSHKOSH