Electrical engineering, enrolment up 17% in two years

After years of declining numbers and concerns about the future of the sector, positive signs are finally coming for Italian electrical engineering. According to data collected by the Italian Electronics Society (Sie), in the last two academic years (from 2022-23 to 2024-25) enrolments in electrical engineering degree courses in Italy have grown by an average of 17%. This increase concerns almost all universities, without geographical or dimensional distinctions, and marks a significant trend reversal.

The numbers speak for themselves: overall, the number of enrolled students rose from 1,542 in the academic year 2022-23 to 1,803 in the year 2024-25 (partial data collected by Sie, not including all universities, so the real figure is even higher). Among the most significant increases are: University of Bologna +130%, Florence +73%, Padua +65%, Catania +46%, Udine +44%.

"We are satisfied: the communication, information and awareness-raising campaign that the EIS launched in 2023 to publicise the opportunities and social value of electrical engineering is starting to bear fruit," said Paolo Pavan, president of the EIS. "Young people are rediscovering a key sector for the future of Italian industry and for major technological and digital transitions."

The growth in enrolment responds to a much broader challenge. At a time when only 1.5 per cent of Italian university graduates come from ICT disciplines (against a European average of 4.5 per cent, Istat data), our country is suffering from a serious mismatch between demand and supply of digital skills. The Osservatorio sulle competenze digitali 2023 estimates a current shortage of over 175,000 ICT professionals in Italy.

The gap is even more pronounced in the semiconductor industry: between 2017 and 2023, job vacancies increased at an average annual rate of 11%, while the number of graduates in relevant disciplines remained stable. In the three-year period 2021-2023 alone, an average annual deficit of around 3,800 unfilled positions is estimated (Decision Etudes & Conseil, Chips-IT Foundation data).