Growing up from the time you were a child you’ve probably heard your parents talk about responsibility, and when you fell short on your responsibilities your parents were there to bail you out. Parents tread the slippery slope between invoking a sense of responsibility and overindulging a child beyond the necessary. Where do we draw the line on when to deny children for the purpose of building them into responsible adults? And are there any specific paths that we can encourage our children to take that will increase the likelihood of them becoming responsible adults?

Automobile insurance rates are sky high for teenage drivers and generally stay that way until they are twenty five years old. Yet, there is a way for a young person to get a discount on insurance premiums before the age of twenty five. A discount known as the Selected Professionals Discount is available to those who have earned degrees or received training for professions such as medicine, law, or engineering. Whether you enrolled in a university engineering program or Saratech’s Advancing Students through Engineering Training (A.S.E.T.) program, which offers training on Solid Edge (computer aided design) and FEMAP (computer aided engineering), these qualify young drivers for an insurance discount.

Why would discounts be offered to someone who is a professional? Professionals tend to be the most responsible members of society. They are less likely to take risks behind the wheel of a car, more likely to obey laws, and to be guided by an ethical view point. Engineers are a group of professionals who are held in the highest regard for their integrity and responsibility. Their intrinsic and detailed approach to design and development usually transcends to all areas of their lives.  Just imagine if the engineers who designed airplanes were lazy, irresponsible, and in the habit of cutting corners.   Airplanes would be so unsafe that they would be falling out of the sky and we would all be looking to bicycles as our only mode of transportation.

It doesn’t matter what your child wants to be when he grows up, as long as becoming a responsible member of society is a component of their profession of choice.  I may be a bit biased, but if I can put my two cents worth, I will personally attest to the fact that becoming an engineering professional is one of the wisest and most responsible decisions to make!