MARIETTA — For national Engineers Week, which ends today, a senior project manager at Lockheed Martin’s Marietta plant explained succinctly what engineers do.

“We turn dreams into reality,” Taze Lamb said.

For nearly a decade, engineers at Lockheed Martin in Marietta have participated in Engineers Week, during which engineers across the nation teach young people about their careers. Hamilton Holmes, Lockheed’s community relations manager, said employees hosted Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts visiting the facility to earn Scout pins, had case study activities with students from Southern Polytechnic State University and spoke to students in Wheeler High’s magnet program.

“This week alone, through our E-Week activities, we’ll reach out to about 3,700 students,” Holmes said Friday.

Lamb spent Friday afternoon speaking to a group of Wheeler juniors and seniors.

“I want to introduce them to what it is to be an engineer,” he said. “Engineers can do a lot of fun things, especially at Lockheed Martin.”

Lamb also told the students what additional classes they’ll need in college to earn a degree in engineering, including psychology, fine arts and economics, not just science or mathematics; and that the average starting salary for an engineer is between $54,000 and $86,000.

Holmes said Lockheed has many reasons for getting involved in education, but one of the primary motivations is to ensure the future of the company.

“The average age of employees is about 55,” he said. “Quite a few people are close to retirement age, and with the number of employees we have at Lockheed Martin (126,000 nationally), we are trying to create that next generation of employees.”

Lamb gave the Wheeler students one last piece of advice about what it takes to be a successful engineer.

“Think outside the box. Never, ever lose that edge.”