Frankfurt am Main - According to the "Global Engineering World of Work Outlook" report by Manpower Germany, the shortage of skilled engineers is becoming a structural problem. According to the report, 73% of employers are having difficulties finding qualified specialists. Causes include demographic change, a lack of young talent and increasing demand in areas such as infrastructure, energy supply and the semiconductor industry.

According to the report, civil engineers are particularly sought after for the planning, construction and maintenance of public infrastructure. At the same time, demand for electrical engineers is growing, for example for power grids, electrification projects and the operation of data centers. The aerospace and defense industry in Europe is also facing personnel challenges, as many experienced specialists will be retiring in the next five to ten years.

"We are not talking about just any bottleneck in engineering professions, but about the bottleneck for practically all future projects," says Faris Bećirović, Country Manager and CEO of ManpowerGroup Germany.

The report also points to the impending loss of knowledge due to the generational change. 90% of employers see the retirement of experienced engineers as a strategic challenge for their personnel planning. At the same time, the proportion of women in STEM professions remains comparatively low at around 28%.

The need for investment in infrastructure is seen as an additional driver of the skills shortage. According to the report, European countries will have to invest around 12 trillion euros in the expansion and modernization of critical infrastructure by 2040. Worldwide, annual investments of around four trillion US dollars will be required over the next ten years to expand transport, energy and digital infrastructure.

The rising demand for electricity is also increasing the need for skilled workers. According to the report, global demand for electricity is set to grow by more than 3.5% per year until the end of the decade. The electricity consumption of data centers could double by 2030, particularly in Europe and the USA.

The authors also anticipate a significant need for personnel in the semiconductor industry. The global market is expected to grow from 627 billion US dollars in 2024 to 1.3 trillion US dollars in 2030. This would require around one million additional skilled workers worldwide, including more than 100,000 engineers in Europe.

Among other things, the report recommends that companies focus more strongly on skills-based recruiting, more training opportunities and programs for knowledge transfer between experienced and younger employees. Companies do see potential in the use of artificial intelligence, for example in problem solving and further training. At the same time, 76% of the engineers and architects surveyed were concerned that an over-reliance on AI could lead to a loss of important skills.