The Association of German Engineers (VDI) thinks that there are not just good aspects to the positive figures on the German labour market recently published by the Federal Employment Office. Even though Dr. Willi Fuchs, who is VDI director, is happy to learn about a falling rate of unemployment, it is, however, a reality that there is an increasing shortage of engineers at the same time. This worrying lack of engineers has been on the rise for three years. While in the year 2005 the number of lacking engineers each month amounted to just 14.000 people, this figure is expected to rise to 23.000 in the year 2007.
The most serious lack of engineers is in Baden-Wurrtemberg, North Rhine-Westphalia and Bavaria, says Mr. Fuchs. This development gives rise to concern given that is is an obstacle to innovation for the high-tech location Germany. This alone led to a loss in value added amounting to 3.5 billion Euros last year.
In the short term Mr. Fuchs does not expect any improvement given that the number of engineer students is stagnating. In his opinion Germany should concentrate on the young generation and ought to introduce a subject at schools in the course of which technical issues would be taught. 