MINT is on everyone's lips, on all channels and in countless initiatives that want to introduce students and new students to mathematics, computer science, natural sciences and technology, MINT for short. However, almost every second MINT student drops out of their studies. With dramatic consequences for the economy: over 50,000 graduates are missing!
What to do? The 2nd National MINT Summit aims to mobilize foreign students. They should be brought to Germany through information portals and scholarships and, if possible, kept here, demands Professor Axel Plünnecke, education economist at the German Economic Institute in Cologne. In addition, more female first-year students should be addressed, especially outside of the male-dominated automotive, aerospace and mechanical engineering industries and far away from the nerd image (“Physics is only for pizza-eating nerds”). “MINT has to become cool,” demands physics professor Henning Kargermann, President of the German Academy of Engineering Sciences, Acatech.
A third reservoir is the many dropouts. Universities should provide entry-level assistance and bridging courses, demands Professor Plünnecke. But the best motivation for studying MINT is still the rosy career prospects, says Uniglobale, which did research and found three candidates at different career stages.
Portrait 1
A subject of the future
Leonard Püttjer (21) programs as a working student for a semiconductor manufacturer
That started well. A computer science student applies for an internship at a semiconductor manufacturer and is immediately offered a contract for a whole year. The task: A program for functional measurement, control and regulation applications should be rewritten in another programming language. The employer: the semiconductor manufacturer NXP Semiconductors in Hamburg, which, among other things, builds chips for car radios. These chips have to endure many tests at different temperatures and frequencies before they are shipped. The graphical programming environment “LabView” should be used for automated data collection and evaluation of the tests. And that's exactly why the company needed support.
A great opportunity for Leonard Püttjer, who is studying general engineering with a focus on computer science at the TUHH, Hamburg-Harburg University of Technology: “I learned a lot about programming languages during my studies,” says the 21-year-old. “LabView” was not included. No problem for Leonard: “I learned the ropes with the help of books and colleagues.” And learned a lot more along the way: how a company works, what the professional field means in practice, what teamwork is all about. “It’s different than studying; you also have to meet the customers’ expectations,” says the aspiring engineer.
His work contract has now been extended for a second year and Leonard Püttjer could also write his bachelor's thesis for his employer. Maybe on a topic that falls into the area of technical logistics. He likes to work in an interdisciplinary way, says Leonard, likes to combine scientific subjects with everyday life and computer science with life. “This is a subject of the future,” he is convinced.
Portrait 2
THE HUMAN FACTOR
BEHIND THE TECHNOLOGY
Anne-Catrin Ludwig (26) optimizes human-machine interaction in the networked house of tomorrow
No matter when Anne-Catrin Ludwig finishes work, the blinds automatically go up just before she arrives in her attic apartment. When she arrives, her home is not only at a pleasant temperature, but also nice and bright, music welcomes her and, if necessary, the kettle prepares her after-work tea.
The 26-year-old is an “expert for usability and user experience in the smart home sector” at Deutsche Telekom. I'm sorry, what? “Among other things, I evaluate the behavior of people who want to intelligently network their house or have already done so, evaluate their feedback and thus ensure optimized systems that are more user-friendly.”
Anne-Catrin learned methods and procedures of empiricism and psychology during her studies. But also how to program and embed codes. “It’s super valuable,” she says. After all, the young woman mostly deals with men, computer scientists, electrical engineers and engineers in her department: Anne-Catrin works for QIVICON, a startup within Telekom that offers a cross-manufacturer platform for the intelligent home.
An employer made for the master's graduate, who combined computer science, engineering and psychology in her studies: “I took math and physics as advanced courses and many people advised me to study physics. But I wanted more.” More than MINT. Logic and technology, expanded to include humanities, as offered by the bachelor's degree program “Applied Cognitive and Media Science” at the University of Duisburg-Essen. After graduating, the Oldenburg native packed her bags again and moved to Berlin to do the “Human Factors” master’s degree.
That was crucial to her career, because at the TU Anne-Catrin joined the Femtec network, which promotes women in the natural sciences and engineering and networks them with companies. “It was through a Femtec partner company that I first found out what potential the smart home sector has.” And that Telekom offers more than just telecommunications. “The smart home is coming,” the career starter is convinced. Maybe a little slower than the smartphone, but with comparable performance. And then the market needs a lot of interdisciplinary and independently working university graduates like Anne-Catrin Ludwig.
Portrait 3
THE WOMAN OF THE NETS
Kirsten Fust (48) leads over a thousand technicians, mostly men, in the energy supply sector
In pictures you can usually see Kirsten Fust high up. A wind turbine on a crane on the Elbe border or on the turbine. Laughing, free from giddiness and not at all “photoshopped,” as the 48-year-old assures us. The head of the network services division at E.on Hanse divides her working life into office and field work days. For the latter, she travels from Quickborn to the Danish or Polish border, sometimes climbs high-voltage pylons and looks at the corrosion protection from above. “In safety gear,” as she emphasizes.
If there were only office days in business dress, filled with telephone conferences, it would be a manager's life in a “know-it-all aquarium”. That’s not Fust’s life: “Never lose contact with the surface,” the engineer vowed. And to always keep up with the latest technology: “You never know what tomorrow will bring.” Even if the basics of electrical engineering have not changed, the energy transition has significantly increased the importance of regulatory issues relating to photovoltaics, wind energy and hydrogen: “Here “You have to treat yourself to a seminar at regular intervals,” says Kirsten Fust.
She once trained as an electrician. And because the high school graduate had a master's degree who gave her more confidence, she completed a degree in electrical engineering at the Kiel University of Applied Sciences, as one of four women in the “with 170 boys” course. At the same time a good school for her first job at the Hamburger Gaswerke, which now belongs to E.on Hanse. “I led a small group of technicians and spoke up when there were stupid sayings. That’s where I grew.” In several respects: Today, Fust manages over a thousand employees professionally and 200 directly.
“I was trusted to do it and I didn’t say no,” says the engineer, commenting on her career, which, despite pregnancy and the birth of a daughter 15 years ago, didn’t take a hit: “My husband took parental leave and I had maternity leave My area was well organized and given a lot of responsibility and trust.” The issue of promoting women is also close to Fust’s personal heart: at E.on Hanse she initiated the women’s network “IngE”. But the manager also knows that energy suppliers cannot meet demand with women alone. “We need engineers who are open, work in an interdisciplinary and project-oriented manner.” They can then expect an exciting field of activity that is by no means just technical: “I deal with people all day!”
CAREER TECHNICALLY POSSIBLE
WOMEN IN THE HIGH-TECH ICT INDUSTRY
There has been analysis and debate for years: How many women have managed to rise to leadership positions? What are the reasons for male-dominated boardrooms? Where do companies need to start to change this? And last but not least: Do we need political guidelines in order to 'finally' achieve a breakthrough towards greater gender equality?
The good news: In the past two years, the proportion of women in top management and middle management levels has increased significantly, by almost 50% in each case. The proportion of women in top management in ICT companies is now 4% and in middle management it is 6.5%. These are the results of the current BITKOM labor market study,
which is carried out once a year by a market research company on behalf of the ICT industry association.
These numbers show two things: the starting point is extremely low, but the measures that many companies have taken to attract more women to leadership positions are having an impact. Many companies are committed to the future
ambitious goals. By 2020, the proportion of women is expected to increase to 15 or 17%, depending on the level of competence.
What are companies doing to become more attractive to female applicants and employees? An important point, which of course also affects men, are measures to improve the compatibility of family and work. Practically all companies have taken appropriate measures, including offers such as home office or problem-free return to work after parental leave.
But the economy is not just concerned with new employees, i.e. young professionals. At least as important are offers and programs for the qualification and development of women who have been in the company for years. The most important instruments are mentoring programs and women's networks.
If women in top positions and at all levels of the career ladder are to be a given in one to two decades, a lot is necessary: the measures taken by companies, a cultural change in society and individual study and career decisions by young women. A moderately positive development can be seen among first-year students. Currently there is e.g. B. the proportion of women among first-year students is around 22%. Ten years ago it was less than 16%.
There is also a clear upward trend in the absolute number of female first-year students. The often controversial discussion about the issue of women's quotas played just as much a role as the large number of business initiatives to get girls and women interested in computer science. At BITKOM, the 'Women in ICT Expert Committee' is driving forward the gender issue. Cooperations with universities and mentoring offers are among the ongoing activities. At the 'women&work', Germany's largest women's career fair, almost 25 mentors from 16 BITKOM member companies were available to provide speed mentoring to almost 60 students and young professionals on the topics of entry and promotion in ICT.
Dr. Stephan Pfisterer
Related articles:
- Things get exciting with MINT! Interview with Dr. Walther Klaus
- “Understanding how things work”
- Series of events organized by the city, university of applied sciences and university at Mainz University of Applied Sciences
- Working in the Internet of Things
- Panda University
- Work that makes you healthy
- Much more than white coats
- The car researchers
- Brandenburg offers interesting career opportunities
- In demand – career in the pharmaceutical industry
MINT is on everyone's lips, on all channels and in countless initiatives that want to introduce students and new students to mathematics, computer science, natural sciences and technology, MINT for short. However, almost every second MINT student drops out of their studies. With dramatic consequences for the economy: over 50,000 graduates are missing! What to do? The 2nd National MINT Summit aims to mobilize foreign students.
