Hot on Facebook

Guy Buys $123 Safe on eBay, Finds $26,000 Inside Seller tries to get half the cash back, fails »

Top Engineers Shun Military

Costs soar as sought-after project managers head for private sector

By Ambreen Ali, Newser User

Posted Jun 25, 2008 2:15 AM CDT

(Newser) – Greater "geek cachet" and higher pay is diverting engineering managers from the military into places like Microsoft and Google, the New York Times reports. The result is a dearth of managers overseeing military projects, which government investigators largely blame for long delays and $295 billion in cost overruns. The shortage has forced the military to increasingly rely on consultants, who often lack the skills and incentive to hold down spending.

To counter the trend, the Air Force Academy has created a new degree in systems engineering, and several universities have expanded such programs. The Navy is also boosting plans to recruit and retain engineers. But to find and keep engineers, the military will have to box it out with tech giants offering double the pay. “Google calls me every other week looking for systems engineers,” said one MIT expert.

The military is having trouble recruiting qualified engineers, who opt to work for private firms offering double the pay. (Shutter stock)

The military is concerned about a brain drain of top engineers. (Shutter Stock)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

More Newser Stories

Pentagon Opens More Jobs to Women

Females will still not be able to serve as infantry, however: sources

(NEWSER) - Defense Department rules are entering the 21st century. The Pentagon will recommend to Congress today that women in the military should be allowed to serve in a greater number of positions close to front lines. The AP notes that the rule shift would formalize a practice that has already been happening: Though women are technically prohibited from serving in combat battalions, over the past decade many have served at the front lines in roles including medic, military police officer, intelligence officer, and helicopter pilot. The military has previously dodged the rule by "attaching" such women to battalions, rather than formally assigning them, meaning the women would not receive credit for serving in combat arms. More»

Google, Yahoo, 13 Others Declare War on Phishing

New set of standards could make email more trustworthy

(NEWSER) - A new anti-phishing effort, backed by the big email service providers as well as banks, PayPal, social networks, and other companies, could dramatically reduce the number of scam emails you get in your inbox. Google, Yahoo, Microsoft, and AOL are backing the new plan; 15 companies in total have come together to create DMARC.org, which officially launches today and will promote standard technologies to authenticate email. The hoped-for end result? If you get an email that claims to be from paypal.com, you could trust that it is actually from paypal.com. If it works, companies would be able to communicate with customers in new ways, the Wall Street Journal reports. More»

US Cuts Off Funding to UNESCO Over Palestine

Political workaround unlikely to go anywhere

(NEWSER) - The US has officially cut off all funding to the UN’s Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization over its acceptance of Palestine as a full member. The impact will be felt immediately, because the US had a $60 million dues payment due in November, the AP reports. The Obama administration’s hands are effectively tied by an existing law prohibiting the US from supporting a UN agency that accepts Palestine, though a State Department spokesman hinted that it might "work with Congress" to get around the law, Politico reports. More»

Google Looking to Buy Yahoo

Google wants more users for Google+, more advertising markets

(NEWSER) - Google is trying to buy rival Yahoo and has talked to at least two private equity firms about financing the deal, reports the Wall Street Journal . Despite Internet ad revenues soaring around 20% a year, Yahoo revenue has foundered for several years, spurring talk the Internet giant could go private to regroup away from the pressures of the stock market. Google is apparently interested in finding a new outlet for its omnipresent ads, Yahoo's exclusive publishing relationships, and the boost that Yahoo's 700 million unique monthly users could give Google+ . More»

Yahoo Founder Looking to Take Company Private

Delisting could buy space for former online leader

(NEWSER) - Yahoo co-founder Jerry Yang is warming to a deal with private equity investors that would take the iconic Internet player private, reports Reuters . Among the rumored buyers—Chinese online giant Alibaba, Microsoft, and Bain Capital. Experts say going private could solve pressures coming from the market, where investors have punished Yahoo's share price because of the company's lack of growth in recent years. Yahoo accounted for 16% of the US Internet search market in August, down from 19% two years ago. More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

Top Engineers Shun Military

Costs soar as sought-after project managers head for private sector

OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

Google • military • Pentagon • Microsoft • engineering • military recruits • Pentagon waste

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

Pentagon Opens More Jobs to Women

Females will still not be able to serve as infantry, however: sources

Google, Yahoo, 13 Others Declare War on Phishing

New set of standards could make email more trustworthy

US Cuts Off Funding to UNESCO Over Palestine

Political workaround unlikely to go anywhere

Google Looking to Buy Yahoo

Google wants more users for Google+, more advertising markets

Yahoo Founder Looking to Take Company Private

Delisting could buy space for former online leader

About Us

Site

Newser By Users

Community

Site Maps

Tools

More News

What is Newser?

Top Engineers Shun Military

Costs soar as sought-after project managers head for private sector

Bookmark & Share

OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

Google • military • Pentagon • Microsoft • engineering • military recruits • Pentagon waste

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

Pentagon Opens More Jobs to Women

Females will still not be able to serve as infantry, however: sources

Google, Yahoo, 13 Others Declare War on Phishing

New set of standards could make email more trustworthy

US Cuts Off Funding to UNESCO Over Palestine

Political workaround unlikely to go anywhere

Google Looking to Buy Yahoo

Google wants more users for Google+, more advertising markets

Yahoo Founder Looking to Take Company Private

Delisting could buy space for former online leader

About Us

Site

Newser By Users

Community

Site Maps

Tools

More News

What is Newser?