Construction Union: The number of graduates in technical fields needs to be two to three times higher.

Prague - The Czech Republic has two to three times fewer graduates in technical fields than the domestic construction industry needs. In today's online debate, Pavel Ševčík, the technical director of the Association of Entrepreneurs in Construction (SPS), stated this. According to the association, the societal perception of this field is problematic, as there is a visible disdain for manual labor in society.

Ševčík noted that there are 400,000 people working in construction in the Czech Republic, which means that 15,000 to 20,000 new employees in technical fields would be needed annually. He showed data from the Ministry of Education indicating that this year over 5,300 students were accepted into secondary technical schools, about 200 fewer than last year.

"The number of accepted students is slightly increasing, but it does not meet the needs, as it mirrors the demographic curve. It is not a solution to our pain; the number of graduates needs to be raised two to three times," Ševčík stated. According to him, the shortage of skilled labor has been an issue in construction for 15 to 20 years.

He pointed out the decreasing number of students in technical fields at universities. Referring to data from the Ministry of Education, Ševčík stated that their number declined by 34 percent from 2001 to 2021, from 50,000 to 33,000. "This is a very dangerous trend that correlates with the sentiments in society. The population lives in an information vacuum, believing that technical school is uninteresting and difficult. This needs to change," he said.

During the discussion, Ševčík presented the SPS Strategy, which aims to improve education in construction trades in the Czech Republic. It was developed by a group of 12 experts and consists of 15 points. "There is a noticeable degree of contempt for manual labor in society. This is primarily reflected in the insufficient support for vocational education and the lack of interest from applicants, especially quality ones," the document states.

According to Ševčík, awareness initiatives should start from preschool, mentioning the reintroduction of workshops in elementary schools, the level of admission procedures and teaching, the dual system, and supports the idea of a master’s examination.

Individual schools, in collaboration with companies, have long been trying to attract interest in construction fields. Kateřina Krejčí, director of Slezské staveb Opava, noted that they provide work benches to kindergartens equipped with real tools. "In a playful manner, children get to know the level, meter, since not every child has encountered these at home. The benches are made by vocational school students," Krejčí added.

Petr Podaný, personnel and administrative director of PKS holding in Žďár nad Sázavou, added that the vast majority of elementary school students do not know what a carpenter or a plumber does. Therefore, career counselors help with recruitment for technical schools, companies participate in parent-teacher meetings, job fairs are organized, various competitions are held, and companies also offer scholarship programs to high school students, he stated.

Experts agreed that construction offers broad employment opportunities for students and certainty in the current complex times. With digitalization and the use of drones and other modern technologies, it can also be attractive for young people, they believe.