Number of technical students decreased by 40% compared to 2010

The construction industry is facing a long-term shortage of skilled workers. This hampers the further development of the industry that is driving the Czech economy. Getting new skilled employees is difficult for most construction companies. The situation is exacerbated by the declining number of students in technical sciences, production and construction at Czech universities, which fell to 38,500 last year, according to the CZSO. This is 40% less than in 2010. It is therefore essential for the state to make the teaching of technical subjects more attractive and to focus on supporting and making vocational and dual education more attractive.

Construction and, to a large extent, housing construction is of great importance for the Czech budget and is the driving force of the Czech economy. Thanks to the multiplier effect of construction, every crown invested in it will return to the economy three times. Only constructions permitted in the last half of the year could bring almost 916 billion crowns to the Czech economy. This is shown by the so-called Barometer of housing construction, which is part of the analysis of Central Group and KPMG.

Lack of workers is hampering the construction industry:
According to the analytical company CEEC Research, it is difficult for more than 90% of construction companies in the Czech Republic to recruit new employees. The lack of employees thus affects the volume of realized orders and the growth of the construction industry. For many companies, labor shortages are an even greater risk to business than the scarcity and price of raw materials and energy. The problem concerns both the lack of construction workers and other less qualified positions, as well as positions filled by university-educated builders.

According to the Czech Statistical Office, 304,000 students studied at Czech universities at the end of 2021, almost a quarter less than ten years ago. The most significant decline affected the technical fields. Last year, for the first time in the new millennium, the number of students in these fields fell below 40,000 and, for the first time, it was also lower than the number of medical students. At the same time, 20 years ago, the number of students in technical fields was almost three times higher than in the group of medical fields.

In addition, the number of university graduates is steadily declining in the Czech Republic. In 2021, more than 60,000 students graduated from a university in the Czech Republic, which is 2,400 less than in the previous year and a third less than ten years ago.

"Our experience confirms the statistics. Finding new employees in our more than 60-member team of designers, architects and builders is currently a major challenge in connection with low unemployment. This also applies significantly to junior positions, as interest in technical fields is declining among young people. In the last year, we have filled only about ten graduate positions in the field, and we have been named the second best TOP employer in real estate and development. We know that we offer very good conditions, including a wide range of benefits, and above all the support and background of our large team of technical specialists, but there are simply not enough graduates," says Michaela Tomášková, Executive Director of Central Group.

Dual education as a way out of the problem:
The lack of university-educated builders dates back to primary and secondary school education. The Czech education system does not offer sufficiently effective and motivating teaching, which would also reflect the needs of the rapidly transforming construction industry. One of the solutions used in the surrounding countries (Germany, Austria and Slovakia) is the dual education system. It is based on providing practical training directly in companies, where students learn with modern technology, which they do not get to in schools. Companies gain contact with potential future employees and train students as they really need them. The school will provide theoretical instruction in this system. Students receive a salary for their work.

In the Czech Republic, the system of vocational education and training is the responsibility of the school. Practical training may or may not take place in the company. The share of practical teaching accounts for about half of the total teaching time. In a dual education system, pupils spend much more time acquiring and practicing practical skills.

"Support for dual education and its legislative entrenchment could significantly make not only construction, but also other technical fields more attractive. The government needs to fulfill its program statement. In it, it undertakes to further develop the dual education system and to create favorable conditions for the companies that participate in it,” adds Tomášková.