I think you’re both right. While I’d love to say “go for it!” and that he’d be fine, I am concerned that many employers won’t want to hire him because he’s older – depending, at least in part, on the type of engineering he chooses. These employers may not even realise that they’re doing this, but they are. There is that risk.

With that said, there are opportunities in engineering for “older” students. What sort of engineering might he want to do? He may do better if he doesn’t major in one of the “young/hot” fields, like software/web/games/animation, etc. He’d do better majoring in an engineering field that isn’t so trendy, like manufacturing or quality engineering. Those fields are solid, and manufacturing companies are less affected by trends and the whole “young/hot” environment that I see in software.

If he does choose to major in software, he should stay away from the trendiest fields, like game design, or perhaps animation. He’d do better to focus on solid software skills, ones that, again, manufacturing companies demand, rather than those that web design/game design companies demand.

He should find out what employers in his area want from graduates in his field, and make sure that he comes out of school with those skills.

While in school, he must do some internships/co-ops/part time/volunteer work to boost his resume. If he does this, he’ll be attractive to employers. He’s got to come out of there with some sort of related work experience.

In addition, he must must MUST go to a reputable school. It can be his own state college – it doesn’t have to be MIT – but it can’t be ITT Tech, or Devry, or U of Phoenix. He needs a reputable program. Not online, either, but in person. At his age, an online program, or one that is from a crap school, is not going to help him. Again, I emphasize, a reputable program, and the one at his local state school is likely fine.

In addition, because engineering is a field that in some cases requires a license in order to practice, he needs to make sure that his school’s program is appropriately accredited. Ideally, it should be ABET accredited. I’ll provide a related link, below.

So, should he go back to school? Absolutely. Should he major in engineering? Absolutely, but he needs to be smart about it.

It’s definitely not too late. He’d be about 37 when he finished college, which leaves 25-30 years of work life for him. That’s plenty. Actually, in some sense, it’s better to be a bit older when you get your degree, because you’re less likely to have your skills go out of date before retirement. There would be one very strong point in his favor with employers, which is that he would have shown real committment in becoming an engineer, instead of just being some kid who did what he thought he was supposed to do. There is another issue which might work in his favor, depending on what he’s been doing to this point. If he’s been working in construction and becomes a civil engineer, or on a car assembly line and he becomes a mechanical engineer, for example, he has experience that is valuable, and which the other engineers don’t and won’t.

The main thing, though, is that even if he is right and the employers prefer 22 year olds, good engineers are in short supply. If he gets good grades from a reputable university (and like the previous guy said – it doesn’t have to be MIT – just one of your local state universities should be fine), he will get a good job, even if he’s everybody’s second choice, because there aren’t enough good engineers to go around these days.

well, he does have a point. but also, a 33 yr-old will have more work experience than almost any 22-yr old (even if it is not within the engineering field) . . . and work experience does count for a lot . . . there is less time spent training and a quicker expected learning curve, which means the employer is getting more productivity out of you . . . at least at first

but, he needs to be comfortable with the job change. he needs to know that engineering is what he really wants to do right now (and for at least some of the foreseeable future) and be aware of his situation and see the advantages, as well as disadvantages that his situation gives him

and everyone changes careers nowadays . . . 33 is really not that old . . . if he was in his late 40’s or his 50’s, then he might want to consider staying put, but he has plenty of time now.

http://careerplanning.about.com/od/careerchoicechan/tp/career_change.htm

http://careerplanning.about.com/od/careerchoicechan/a/change_quiz.htm

It’s never too late. Many companies will choose the 33 year old since he will, probably, be more stable and has real world experience. People change careers so much these days; he shouldn’t give up his dream. And 33 is still young.

33 is not too old ,go for it!

Never assume what others think .

no its not you can do anything you want when you put your mind to it.