Results Of Surveys Among Pupils, Students And Employers On Interests In And Contents Of Study Programmes In Civil Engineering, Geodesy, Environmental Sciences And Sustainable Mobility In Germany

The shortage of skilled workers in the engineering sector threatens the development and sustainable transformation of the economy in Germany. In this context, the current de-cline in the number of first-year students in civil engineering, environmental engineering, geodesy and traffic engineering appears all the more alarming. Surveys which can provide basic data for the elimination of the shortage of skilled workers in engineering and the increase in the number of first-year students in the above-mentioned degree programmes were started surveys among pupils, students and representatives of state authorities in 2022. Furthermore, one of the surveys was used to analyse the potential for an additional course for “sustainable mobility”. All three surveys were conducted under the overarching aspect of consistency in order to obtain a cross-stakeholder picture. A central focus was on the topics of sustainability and digitalisation, including the extent to which sufficient preparations are made in the educational environment and which requirements are really considered necessary (also in the future) in the respective activities. Based on these results, among others, the orientation of a planned agency for reducing the shortage of skilled workers in the road and transport sector was adjusted accordingly. The aim is to establish a coordinating institution that focuses specifically on the gap between academical education and the requirements of innovative and modern employers.