Mathematics, computer science, natural sciences and technology – the shortage of skilled workers in the so-called MINT area is expanding. Companies, associations and universities are desperately looking for ways to get more young people interested in technology-related jobs. According to the NRW Entrepreneurs’ Association, the shortage of skilled workers is already “a real danger for the business location, our prosperity and also for the transformation”.
All the experts agree: the foundations for girls and boys to choose STEM subjects later in school and at university must be laid in kindergarten. This emerges from the statements for a hearing scheduled for Wednesday in the NRW state parliament on the shortage of skilled workers in the STEM field. And it is also clear that there is no evidence that boys are better at math or computer science than girls.
However, computer science and technology are still associated with the cliché “male-dominated” and “with a high nerd factor”. According to studies, positive portrayals in film, series, social media and pop culture could change job profiles in the long term. The importance of MINT courses for sustainability, such as solving human problems, should also be emphasized more.
Funding for day-care centers, schools and universities
“Inspire early” is the motto. According to the NRW Entrepreneurs’ Association, basic STEM support should be standard in all day-care centers, not just in day-care centers that specialize in research. The Education and Science Union (GEW) takes a similar view: all day-care centers would have to be equipped accordingly in order to offer all children the same opportunities. And the educators also needed time for the little researchers: “Since the shortage of skilled workers in the daycare centers is currently higher than ever, this is the time when there is an absolute shortage in the facilities.”
According to the State Rectors’ Conference, reliable and high-quality MINT teaching must first be guaranteed at all levels. Computer science and technology should be offered in schools across the board. Even at school, students should be encouraged to successfully master a later STEM course. The student laboratories at the universities should also be strengthened in order to get children and young people enthusiastic about technology and science.
Many first-year students no longer have the necessary prerequisites, for example in mathematics. The reason is, among other things, the shortening of the educational path to G8 in schools. According to the State Rectors’ Conference, preliminary courses must be strengthened. A gentler start to the course is also conceivable, for example through an orientation semester or year. In addition, more scholarships should be made available, especially for socially disadvantaged students.
The dropout rate in MINT courses is above average. Experts call for better career orientation and good advice for those who have doubts about their studies. If termination is unavoidable, alternatives must be shown. However, it would be wrong from an entrepreneur’s point of view to tighten access restrictions to courses.
More women for STEM
In order to attract more women, gender-neutral career and study orientation is key for entrepreneurs. In the opinion of the State Rectors’ Conference, girls must be supported from daycare onwards so that they decide to study STEM as young women. For the GEW trade union, the low proportion of women in the MINT field is also due to an “imbalance in society as a whole”. The working conditions must be designed in such a way that work and family can also be reconciled in the STEM field.
The shortage of skilled workers also affects training: As is generally the case in schools, there are also too few teachers in the STEM field. In addition, there is a lack of places at universities for teacher training. Many experts are in favor of more lateral entrants. From the point of view of the GEW, however, they need a high-quality lateral and lateral entry with long-term perspectives in the school system and appropriate payment. Coaching programs are also necessary. “They are currently being thrown in at the deep end and left to their own devices with the challenges of everyday school life.” The Universities of Applied Sciences (HAW) advocate independent teacher training for vocational colleges at the HAW. Further potential lies in the combination of a large and a small professional subject in the teacher training course for vocational colleges. This is already possible at universities, but not at HAW. The advantage is that no general education subject has to be studied for this.
Talentscouting
In the talent scouting developed by the Westfälische Hochschule, 70 full-time scouts are now employed at 17 technical colleges and universities in NRW. Almost 400 secondary schools throughout NRW are included in the approach. Almost 40,000 schoolchildren have already benefited from the support of a talent scout. The finding: Potential for more MINT specialists can be found primarily among young people from low-income families or parents without knowledge of the education system.
According to the MINT report by the German Economic Institute (IW), the gap in the workforce in occupations related to mathematics, IT, natural sciences and technology has increased from almost 277,000 people in autumn 2021 to more than 320,000 in autumn 2022. Reasons are, among other things, that with the baby boomers large cohorts left the working world and the number of first-year students in STEM subjects has declined significantly despite very good career prospects according to the Federal Statistical Office. The proportion of women among first-year students in the MINT field is increasing too slowly. In 2001 it was 30.8 percent and 20 years later in 2021 only 34.5 percent.
(olb)
