The number of qualified engineers in Italy it is in significant declineas highlighted by report of the Study Center of the National Council of Engineers (downloadable at the end of the article). In 2023, only 9,279 master’s graduates they got the qualification, scoring one 13% decrease compared to the previous year and of 36.5% compared to the two-year period 2021-2022. This decline marks the return to a trend observed in the pre-pandemic period, when licensure required a more complex process than the simplified oral test introduced during the health emergency.
Another relevant data is that, among the master’s graduates of the previous year (31,241 units), only 29.7% achieved the qualification, one of the lowest percentage ever recorded, second only to 2019. Similarly, the qualification rate for junior engineers is dropped to 3.6%highlighting the lack of attractiveness of this qualification, often perceived only as a passage towards the master’s degree.
Of the over 130 thousand graduates who have obtained the qualification to practice as an engineer in the last 13 years, today they are certified just 60 thousand registered in the register.
Analysis of the problem: causes and consequences
The decline in licensed engineers can be attributed to several factors. One of the main ones is growing preference for job placement in private companies or public administrationwhich offers greater certainty than the freelance profession, characterized by economic risks and uncertainties. The attractiveness of the freelance profession was temporarily supported by the Construction Bonuses and the PNRR funds, but with their progressive reduction, the opportunities have contracted.
There low percentage of graduates who choose to enroll in the Register of Engineers – in 2023 only 2,836 new members – confirm the trend of disaffection towards the professional association. The analysis also highlights a transformation of the labor market: the modern engineer prefers paths more oriented towards corporate practice rather than self-employment. Furthermore, the return to the traditional State exam, more complex than the oral test adopted during the pandemic years, may have discouraged many candidates.
A further element of analysis concerns the geographical and sectoral distribution of qualifications. The universities of Southern Italy continue to record the greater number of qualified peoplewhile at the level of specializations, there has been a increase in qualifications for industrial engineers (51.2% in 2023), to the detriment of those for civil and environmental engineers. However, only 14.2% of qualified industrial engineers chose to enroll in the Register, highlighting a transition problem between training and the world of work.
Future prospects: possible strategies and reforms
To counter this trend, the National Council of Engineers is promoting initiatives to make the professional register more attractivefocusing on continuous training services and greater valorization of the figure of the engineer. Among the proposals under discussion, there is theobligation to register in the Register for anyone practicing the engineering profession, regardless of the contractual form, in order to guarantee competence, continuous updating and compliance with the code of ethics.
Furthermore, a adaptation of the university educational offeroriented towards a greater connection with market needs and preparation that favors access to the profession. There review of the State Exam methods it could represent an opportunity to make the qualification process more accessible, without compromising the quality standards of the profession.
Finally, we need acoordinated action between the university system, professional associations and institutions to promote engineering as a challenging and sustainable career, as well as to encourage entrepreneurship among young graduates.
In summary, the decline in qualified engineers represents a alarm signal for the Italian technical sector, but at the same time a challenge to be faced through targeted reforms and actions to enhance the profession.
Decline also for architects
Not just engineers, because the entire technical sector is suffering from a sudden shortage of qualified people. The architectsin 2023, score the lowest number of qualified people from 2000 to today. A phenomenon therefore linked to a structural and logical modification of the conceptual chain University-Profession-Market.
