Travis Gilpin Responds to Growing Demand for Engineers

PHILADELPHIA, PA, April 15, 2013

Engineers play important roles in societies all across the world--and according to Travis Gilpin, the need for engineering professionals is growing more urgent all the time. To prove his point, Gilpin points to a recent Financial Post article, which contends that civil engineering professionals are direly needed, both in Canada and across the entire world. Gilpin has issued a new statement to the press, commenting on the article and on the prevalent need for engineers.

The Financial Post article cites Roger Cheng, who heads the civil and environmental engineering school at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. Cheng says of his engineering students that "they all get hired," noting that engineering is one of the most in-demand disciplines in existence, and one in which there is currently a shortage. This engineering shortage is a boon for engineers and recent engineering school graduates, Cheng says, but it poses a problem for those institutions that are struggling to find competent engineers.

Travis Gilpin, meanwhile, is a man who works closely alongside the construction and engineering industries. He runs the sales division at Consolidated Reinforcement, a company that provides reinforced materials to engineering and construction professionals. Gilpin, in his new statement to the press, comments that the need for qualified engineers is indeed dire. "Residential and commercial construction need more structural engineers to compensate for the demand in this market," he remarks.

The Financial Post article notes that while all engineers play important roles, structural engineers represent the single largest branch of the engineering profession, with one in five of all engineers working in the civil engineering capacity. This is also the oldest branch of engineering, the article suggests, precisely because it is so integral to society; anything from human water supplies to transportation to shelter falls under the umbrella of civil engineering.

Because the scope of civil engineering is so wide, the article continues, opportunities for civil engineering professionals are much more numerous than the opportunities that exist in more specialized forms of engineering, such as aerospace or mechanical engineering. Cheng says that while many types of engineering are specific to certain technologies, civil engineering encompasses a wide spectrum--basically, the sum of society's engineering needs.

The Financial Post article also quotes Jim Kells, president of the Canadian Society of Civil Engineering, who agrees with both Cheng and Travis Gilpin that civil engineering is experiencing major growth. He says that, for civil engineering professionals, the last five years have been the best ever for job opportunities and for career advancement.

A large part of this booming demands for civil engineers stems from the fact that most North American infrastructure was built shortly after World War II--and its 50-year lifespan means that the time to replace, repair, or retrofit this infrastructure is now.

Travis Gilpin works as the Vice-President of Sales at the Austin-based company Consolidated Reinforcement.

ABOUT:

Travis Gilpin is the Vice-President of Consolidated Reinforcement, a family-owned business based in Austin, Texas and specializing in the provision of materials to construction crews, civil and structural engineers, and drafters. Gilpin heads the Sales Department, and is zealous about his work in the construction industry. Additionally, he is a noted philanthropist and a staunch, public supporter of Austin City Limits.

Website: http://travisgilpin.org