Serving on ABET’s Industry Advisory Council (IAC), Bradley Giles is looking to continue the strong collaboration between industry and academia at ABET.
For more than two decades, Bradley Giles was responsible for hiring and developing top-tier professionals across a range of high-stakes technical fields, from occupational safety to emergency management to health physics. And time after time, Giles found himself turning to one trusted source for talent: ABET quality assurance.
“Eighty percent of the hiring I did came from [graduates of] ABET-accredited programs,” said Giles, a longtime executive in construction, mining and nuclear engineering. “Because I saw firsthand how well those programs prepared graduates — not just academically, but practically, professionally and personally.”
Today, Giles continues to shape the future of STEM education through his service on ABET’s Industry Advisory Council (IAC), where his focus is helping educational institutions adapt to an industry landscape in constant motion. From his vantage point, ABET quality assurance serves as a vital bridge between higher education and the workforce, ensuring that what students learn in the classroom reflects what they’ll need on the job.
A Curriculum Grounded in Reality to Develop STEM Workforce Readiness
ABET criteria for an accredited program goes beyond textbooks. For Giles, it’s about making sure future professionals have workforce experience in STEM education. “These graduates often had four or more internships before they even joined us full-time,” he said. “They came in with real workforce experience and a deep understanding of how to apply their math, science and engineering skills in practice.”
Those internships, combined with problem-solving and fieldwork built into ABET criteria, provide STEM graduates workforce skills that make a huge difference at the start of their careers. They aren’t just trained — they’re tested in live environments. Giles says that kind of exposure often translates to long-term success. Some of the interns he hired from ABET-accredited programs now lead projects managing hundreds of employees.
“I’ve watched a protege I hired as an intern become the head of environmental, safety and health for a multi-billion-dollar semiconductor expansion,” he said. “That foundation they had from their ABET-accredited program got them there — and now they’re mentoring the next generation.”
Industry Voices at the Table
At the core of ABET’s model is industry involvement — something Giles believes is essential for keeping academic programs aligned with the realities of modern work and develop STEM workforce readiness in graduates.
Throughout his career, Giles has served on multiple university advisory boards, helping schools adjust their curricula to incorporate emerging trends in risk management, artificial intelligence and virtual reality — tools that didn’t exist a generation ago but are now essential in many fields.
“Industry is constantly evolving,” he noted. “When universities engage with industry advisors, they stay aligned with real workforce needs. ABET plays a key role in fostering that collaboration.”
That evolution isn’t just about technology. Giles also advocates for integrating professional skills and business acumen into technical education, helping students learn how to communicate with everyone from frontline workers to regulators to senior executives.
“You can be the smartest person in the room, but if you can’t explain your ideas or work with others, it won’t matter,” he said. “ABET recognizes the value of those essential communication and teamwork skills.”
How Accreditation Prepares Students for Careers
In a competitive hiring landscape, accreditation helps both employers and students make smarter decisions. For Giles and his peers, ABET accreditation is a signal — a shorthand for programs that meet rigorous quality standards and produce graduates ready to contribute on day one.
“Students don’t always realize it, but choosing an ABET-accredited program can open doors,” he said. “For safety graduates, it even qualifies them to skip the first exam toward professional certification. That’s a huge advantage.”
While Giles acknowledges that non-accredited programs can also produce strong professionals, he notes that those hires often require more on-the-job training to reach the same level. “We got them there,” he said, “but it took more work.”
Looking Ahead: The Future of STEM Workforce Readiness
With thousands of new STEM professionals needed annually — especially in critical fields like occupational safety — Giles stresses the importance of expanding access to quality education. Virtual offerings and outreach to veterans and career changers are essential strategies to develop STEM workforce readiness. But the key, he says, is maintaining strong industry involvement to ensure those programs stay relevant.
“ABET quality assurance ensures that schools don’t prepare students for yesterday’s jobs,” Giles said. “It keeps the pipeline full — not just of workers, but of leaders.”
As industries shift, and as new technologies continue to reshape the world of work, that bridge between academia and industry may be more important than ever. Thanks to leaders like Giles — and to ABET’s collaborative approach — students won’t be crossing it alone.
Learn more about our industry collaboration and IAC.