Carl Krauch: Youth to the Front Line. New Blood in Science and Technology [August 1937]

Abstract

The outcry against overcrowding, cautions against academic studies, and complaints about an academic proletariat are still ringing in our ears.[²]Then unnoticed to the wider public a significant change suddenly took place. Today there is already a shortage of around 5,000 engineers in industry. From 1930 to 1935 the total number of students at polytechnics dropped to a half. Enrollments decreased to a third of its former level.[³]Labor service and military service cause current students to complete their career training 2 1/2 years later.[⁴]With a total supply of 250,000 engineers by 1942, we will be short of 30,000–35,000 engineers. Chemists, the second large group within the scientific profession, are in a similar position.