The shortage of skilled workers in electrical engineering and information technology could worsen significantly in the coming years. This is the conclusion of a recent study by the VDE Association for Electrical, Electronic & Information Technologies. According to the study, more than 30,000 electrical engineers will retire by 2029 without enough university graduates to replace them.

According to the analysis, the number of retirements from 2027 onwards will be around twice as high as the number of graduates. While 13,100 skilled workers are expected to leave the labor market in 2027, only 6523 graduates will complete their studies in electrical engineering and information technology.

"From an economic perspective, this is bad news," says Dr. Michael Schanz, consultant for the VDE committee "Studies, Career and Society" and co-author of the study. "But from the perspective of potential students, it also shows that those who complete their studies have good chances on the job market."

The study also shows that only around half of first-year students successfully complete their electrical engineering degree. The so-called attrition rate has doubled since the turn of the millennium from around 25% to around 50%.

Association calls for better career and study guidance in schools

One reason cited by the VDE is the transition from school to university. "Prospective students' expectations of their studies and of themselves often don't match reality," explains Prof. Dr. Kira Kastell, Chair of the VDE Committee "Studies, Career and Society" and President of Hamm-Lippstadt University of Applied Sciences. In addition, some first-year students use the first year of university to get their bearings and then switch to other courses.

The association is therefore calling for better careers and study guidance in schools and a more intensive exchange between schools and universities. The aim is to make expectations more realistic and reduce drop-outs.

The universities also have a role to play. Thomas Hegger, deputy chairman of the VDE committee, recommends recording drop-outs more systematically and providing students with more targeted support. Companies should incorporate the predicted development into their personnel planning at an early stage.

Despite the tense situation, the VDE sees good prospects for graduates. "The gap between graduates on the one hand and retirements on the other is so large that studying electrical engineering is still a clear recommendation, especially in terms of job security," says Hegger. Areas such as the energy transition, electromobility, digitalization and artificial intelligence are dependent on electrical engineers in the long term.

The study is based on data from the Federal Statistical Office and further evaluations by the VDE Committee "Studies, Career and Society".