Engineering and technology education tends to make the news mainly because of the shortage of specialists, which is indeed a real issue, and there is no reason to downplay its urgency for businesses or society as a whole. However, we should also recognise the positive developments in engineering education and encourage those interested in the field in order to ensure a new generation of specialists with high-quality knowledge and skills, writes Martti Kiisa, Rector and Professor at TTK University of Applied Sciences.

The landscape of higher engineering education is more diverse than many people may realise. Students come to higher education from both upper secondary schools and vocational education institutions, immediately after completing secondary education as well as after decades in working life, seeking to take the next step in their qualifications. Approximately one quarter of our students come from vocational education, and a similar proportion continue to pursue a master’s degree at an academic university after completing their applied higher education studies.

Applied higher education is not an isolated silo separate from vocational or university education. It is a level of education that students enter with different educational backgrounds and experiences, and from which they can, if they wish, continue their studies elsewhere in higher education. This has been made possible by constructive cooperation and shared understanding between institutions at different levels of education, as well as with businesses and professional organisations in the field.

Both upper secondary and vocational education provide a good foundation for higher education

The popularity of engineering study programmes has been clearly increasing for several years, while dropout rates have steadily declined. Last year, TTK University of Applied Sciences admitted 420 students to the Engineering Academy study programmes (admissions for the current year are still ongoing). Of these, 109, or 26 percent, had a vocational education background. Students coming from vocational education often know quite precisely why they are entering higher education. They are already familiar with the practical side of their field and are ready to move quickly into practical training. Our data from the past five years show that there is essentially no difference in dropout rates between students coming from vocational education and those coming from upper secondary school. From year to year, the difference may be a few percentage points in favour of one group or the other, but over a longer period, the results are the same.

It is true that students coming from vocational education may need more support in mathematics or physics. Those coming from upper secondary school may have more recent theoretical knowledge, but a practical environment may be less familiar to them. Both groups begin their studies with their own strengths and areas for development.

The reform of vocational education also gives reason to look to the future with optimism. Four-year vocational secondary education should provide a stronger general education foundation alongside vocational skills. This is a good basis for improving the quality of vocational secondary education and should better prepare those who later wish to continue their education at a university of applied sciences or a university.

Of course, graduates of vocational education do not necessarily have to continue to higher education, as they acquire a profession that has immediate value and demand in the labour market. However, it is important that continuing education should be a natural option for those who wish to do so. Good cooperation between vocational education institutions, universities of applied sciences and universities has laid a strong foundation for this, making it possible to understand what knowledge and skills learners already have and what they need to acquire at the next level.

There is no right age for learning

In one study group, an 18-year-old and a 50-year-old may sit side by side. One has more recent memories of school, while the other has more work and life experience. This creates interesting combinations in which people with different backgrounds complement each other and find solutions that may not emerge in a homogeneous group.

Statistics also show that dropout is not dependent on a student’s age or on how long ago they completed their previous studies. Motivation is a more important factor in successfully completing higher education. Someone returning to education after a long break may need more support in certain subjects, but they often have a very clear reason for entering higher education.

A person may have worked in a technical field for years but hesitate to enter higher education because they fear they will struggle with science and mathematics at university level. To help reduce this fear, we launched free preparatory courses for the first time last year, initially aimed at graduates of vocational education. Before entering a degree programme, those interested can participate alongside university students in courses such as applied mathematics, applied physics or engineering graphics. If they subsequently enter higher education, successfully completed courses can be recognised as part of their study programme.

Engineering and technology are also for women

At TTK, the proportion of women in Engineering Academy study programmes increased from 17 percent to 20 percent last year. This is a positive step forward – not yet a major shift, but hopefully part of a growing trend whose most significant impact we will see in a few decades. Young people’s ideas about possible careers are shaped both at home and beyond it. Unfortunately, their choices can also be influenced by experienced advisers whose understanding of working life may date back several decades.

Today, there are few occupations in engineering and technology where men have an inherent advantage in the workplace. Yet old perceptions are slow to disappear. This is why girls need encouragement and support throughout their educational journey. Particular attention should be paid at the end of lower secondary school, when young people begin making decisions about their future, so that a student with the right interests and abilities does not rule out this option before becoming familiar with the actual content of the field.

Toyota launched the “Girls STEM the Future” programme in Europe in 2021 because the proportion of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics is low, and according to Eurostat data, only around one fifth of school-age girls are interested in these subjects. An important part of the programme is the understanding that interest grows through role models. We have also seen the inspiring impact of role models through an inspiration day for girls in grades 9–12 and vocational education, where women working in the field shared their journeys in engineering. The more girls enter engineering and technology programmes, the more role models there will be for younger generations.

The Engineering Academy is also a valuable initiative in this regard, reaching thousands of school students with information about opportunities in engineering education. For example, universities of applied sciences work together with the Estonian Association of Engineers at schools and career days as a joint team, rather than each institution having its own separate stand and message. One introduces one area of engineering, another another, giving young people a comprehensive overview of possible fields of study and helping girls in particular to see that engineering can be a promising and suitable career choice.

The next leap in quality may take place outside the classroom

The future is not shaped only in schools. One major opportunity for engineering education lies in closer cooperation with businesses. Universities of applied sciences have their own laboratories, equipment and teaching staff, while companies have technologies and working environments that educational institutions cannot provide. Increasing the amount of learning that takes place in companies could be one of the next major steps forward in quality. This requires well-designed cooperation in which the higher education institution remains responsible for the quality of education, while the company gives students access to a real working environment. Especially in smaller companies, it must be recognised that their capacity for supervision is not unlimited, but a good cooperation model makes it possible to combine the strengths of both sides.

Estonia still has a shortage of engineers. But alongside this shortfall, we must not overlook the positive developments for which the joint efforts of all parties deserve recognition. These developments help us build a strong pipeline of highly educated specialists in engineering and technology. We should also continue to encourage everyone interested in the field, regardless of gender, age or the type of secondary education they have chosen.

* Article was published on August 23, 2026 in Postimees.