NEW YORK, Feb. 15, 2007 – Do today’s engineering school graduates possess the necessary technical and managerial skills to meet the job requirements of gas turbine manufacturers?

Generally no, according to Dr. Sheenu Srinivasan, the current chair of the Education Committee of the ASME International Gas Turbine Institute in Atlanta, Ga.  “The engine manufacturers have been saying that young engineers out of college, while bright in a broad range of engineering, in many cases lack the knowledge and aptitude specific to gas turbine technology and the gas turbine business,” says Dr. Srinivasan.

Dr. Srinivasan has organized a panel session at the upcoming ASME Turbo Expo 2007, in which representatives of major engine manufacturers will describe their experiences and challenges in bringing early-career engineers up to speed on gas turbine technology.

The problem, according to Dr. Srinivasan, has nothing to do with the overall quality of engineering education in the United States, but with emerging industry needs demanding a newer skills set for young engineers entering the gas turbine field.  He notes that gas turbines have become extremely complicated regarding aerodynamics, materials and structures, controls and heat transfer, and graduates of even the finest college and university engineering programs are not ready to make contributions in these areas of technology without extensive and costly employer-based orientation and training.

The gas turbine companies on Dr. Srinivasan’s panel are Rolls-Royce, GE, Pratt & Whitney, and Alstom.

Although educators may not be able to incorporate all of industry’s recommendations and ideas into general engineering curricula, Dr. Srinivasan believes a happy medium can be achieved through ongoing information exchange.

“Ideally, education in the disciplines relating to gas turbine technology should focus on achieving a balance between the theoretical and the needs and expectations of the engine manufacturers,” he says.

Sheenu Srinivasan works as the director of technology and business strategy for Quest LLC, a global engineering services firm based in East Hartford, Ct.

“Training Gas Turbine Engineers for Optimum Productivity” is one of several panel sessions in the Technical Congress at ASME Turbo Expo 2007.  The conference, which covers a range of technologies relating to gas turbines, will be held May 14-17, 2007, at the Palais des Congres in Montreal, Canada.

The ASME International Gas Turbine Institute is primary sponsor and organizer of Turbo Expo 2007, which also will feature an exhibit, facility tours, and continuing education program for engineers seeking the latest knowledge in the field.

Founded in 1880 as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, ASME is a not-for-profit professional organization promoting the art, science and practice of mechanical and multidisciplinary engineering and allied sciences.  ASME develops codes and standards that enhance public safety, and provides lifelong learning and technical exchange opportunities benefiting the engineering and technology community.

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