A series of rapidly emerging events are reshaping engineering and should therefore cause us to rethink the needs of engineering education. The use of education is in its broadest sense, not just university studies, but the ever more pressing realm of continuing lifelong education of all engineering professionals. As technology evolves; as global competiveness becomes increasingly important to maintaining a viable business, let alone a world class operation; as design involves and impacts more diverse people and life cycle product demands must be considered; educating the workplace about all of these issues is critically important. This paper probes the needs of educating engineers for the 21st century and describes what we can be and should be doing in preparation for these events. The paper further suggests that a new kind of engineering educator emerge; an educator whose research targets engineering cognition.
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