Issue 03/2023 of VDE dialog details how study programs in these fields have seen their popularity decline at an alarming rate and how too many of the students who do enroll are dropping out early. It also explains why young women in particular rarely choose to pursue such degrees. The paths charted by successful female engineers are encouraging, but it will take many more female role models to inspire young women (and others) in the long term.
We need to get kids excited at a young age. There is plenty of funding for subjects related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), but electrical engineering and information technology often fall by the wayside. They are rarely mentioned specifically, so young people are not very aware of them – even if they produce great examples of future-oriented innovations. This will only change if we give credit where credit is due, and key developments often come from electrical engineering and information technology.
The situation also presents an opportunity, though: It motivates us to more actively represent our field in schools, to raise awareness among the uninitiated, to get young people excited about related subjects and to make them realize that they can play a significant role in shaping the world in which we live.
In this issue, you can also learn more about how VDE is already reaching out to young people with various projects.
I hope you enjoy the read!
Yours truly
Michael Schanz, VDE spokesperson for study and work
