The classes should include students who "really have potential and let them learn from one another," he said.

The program is part of IEEE-USA's larger effort to help engineers maintain relevant skills and minimize the risk of losing their jobs to offshore workers, said Wyndrum.

"We are advertising and making it clear that members are responsible for their own careers and that they better start upgrading themselves," said Wyndrum, a former director of technology at Bell Laboratories, which is now part of Lucent Technologies Inc.

IEEE-USA began offering online courses last year to help engineers upgrade their skills after many companies stopped offering training for midcareer employees.

The start date for the program has not yet been announced.