President Obama says he would like the country to produce more Engineers. That is a good idea. There is a strong correlation between the percentage of engineers in a countries workforce and the economic success of that country. At present the US ranks second on the list of countries with the highest proportion of engineers behind Israel. But the US is falling fast. Economic freedom is also an important factor, and in that category the US is falling fast now that Obama is President. In my opinion the problem is producing more engineers in America is related to the failure of the public education system. Most students graduating from high school are not equipped to handle engineering school. They need remedial instruction, particularly in math. Most don't want to spend the time taking remedial courses. I think the relatively low prestige of engineers compared to other professions is also a factor, particularly for qualified minorities choosing other careers.