Engineering Loses Ground in Brazil: Young People Reject the Career and Deficit Grows Exponentially

Written by Caio Aviz

Published on 27/08/2025 at 21:12

Estudante mostra desmotivação diante de cálculos e custos, fatores que afastam jovens brasileiros da carreira em engenharia, segundo pesquisa do CIEE e Instituto Locomotiva.

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Only 12% of High School Students Show Interest in Pursuing a Career in Engineering

The training of engineers in Brazil is going through a critical phase. It is marked by young people’s disinterest and a significant shortage of professionals.

According to the National Confederation of Industry (CNI), the country is currently facing a deficit of approximately 75,000 engineers.

Although the sector is essential for infrastructure, energy, technology, and industry, the data shows that the number of those interested in entering this field is becoming increasingly smaller.

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Research Shows Low Career Adherence

The survey conducted by the Corporate-School Integration Center (CIEE) was carried out in partnership with the Locomotiva Institute.

The survey interviewed 1,150 high school students.

The result revealed that only 12% show interest in studying engineering, which represents about 2.3 million young people in Brazil, according to PNAD 2024.

According to the survey, more than one-third of respondents stated they feel insecure about mathematics. This factor proves decisive in the rejection of exact sciences.

Failures in the Educational Foundation Worsen the Problem

According to the survey, 79% of students believe that failures in basic education demotivate the choice and continuation in undergraduate courses.

This data indicates that learning difficulties, especially in subjects related to calculations, directly influence professional choices.

Among those who intend to pursue engineering, the main obstacles identified were the high costs of college.

Additionally, interest in other areas often surpasses the option for exact sciences.

Costs and Difficulties with Mathematics Drive Young People Away

The survey also revealed that 22% of students reject engineering due to difficulties with mathematics.

Only 16% of those interested say they are very confident regarding calculations, showing widespread insecurity with exact subjects.

Furthermore, eight out of ten respondents consider engineering courses to be expensive. This factor may lead to dropout during the training process.

In practical terms, 23% of young people interested in the course point to financial difficulties as the main reason for abandoning their education.

This data reinforces the need for public policies that increase access and retention of these students in higher education.

Growing Preference for Humanities

Another significant point of the study is the shift in the profile of higher education course choices.

While 49% of respondents prefer the humanities, only 28% choose exact sciences.

This trend shows that exact sciences are losing ground to careers related to communication, social sciences, and humanities.

This deepens the challenge of meeting the demand for engineers in the Brazilian market.

Additionally, according to the data, the average level of confidence in mathematics was only 5.2 on a scale from 0 to 10.

This result clearly demonstrates the deficit of preparation among students to face engineering graduation.

In light of these results, it is evident that Brazil faces not only a training problem but also a cultural and educational challenge.

Companies and educational institutions will need to join efforts to attract and train young people.

Only then will it be possible to ensure the replacement of the qualified workforce that the sector demands.

After all, as the survey highlighted, the main reasons for disinterest in engineering remain clear; 46% of students prefer other areas. 22% reject due to mathematics. 8% cite financial difficulty as a determining factor.

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Engineering Loses Ground in Brazil: Young People Reject the Career and Deficit Grows Exponentially

Only 12% of High School Students Show Interest in Pursuing a Career in Engineering

Research Shows Low Career Adherence

Failures in the Educational Foundation Worsen the Problem

Costs and Difficulties with Mathematics Drive Young People Away

Growing Preference for Humanities

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Engineering Loses Ground in Brazil: Young People Reject the Career and Deficit Grows Exponentially

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Research Shows Low Career Adherence

Failures in the Educational Foundation Worsen the Problem

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