New study program at FH Kufstein Tirol focuses on energy and sustainability
The clock on climate change has advanced as the effects of global warming are being felt all around the world. The “Fridays for Future” movement elucidates the resentment of the young population in regard to the sluggishness of implementing political changes. The groundwork has been laid for understanding that partial individual solutions will not solve the climate crisis and only a holistic perspective will suffice. Preserving an intergenerational system – beyond national borders and continents – is one of the basic requirements. By definition, this describes what is generally summarized under the term “sustainability”.
Sustainability is a specialist area that is becoming increasingly important for the future and for further global developments, especially for the energy segment.
Sustainability management – a topic of the future for the economy
Revising study program content has become necessary in order to stay up to date in changing times and thereby ensure industry proximity while satisfying the requirements of the labor market. “An exchange with technical industry experts, alumni and students provided support for the further development of the study program. We are happy that this update has brought us even closer to the labor market in order to optimally prepare our students for their later task field,” said Director of Studies Asc. Prof. (FH) Qualified Engineer Christian Huber of FH Kufstein Tirol.
Employers also confirm this: “I perceive the labor market in this sector as very good since the activity in the energy segment is already quite sophisticated and will prospectively diversify even more. The market will certainly need more specialists in the future,” as one manager of the municipal works who was involved in the further development emphasized the need for qualified specialists.
A new and future-oriented study program in the area of energy transformation and sustainability has been created with the revision of the program at FH Kufstein Tirol, a program that satisfies the requirements of the industry (subject to accreditation).
Study program Energy & Sustainability Management*
The bachelor study program Energy & Sustainability Management* is geared toward prequalified specialists and dedicated school leavers who want to assist in innovatively and creatively shaping climate protection and the energy transformation. Sustainability and mobility concepts but also digitization for energy & sustainability play an important role. “There is an absolute lack of specialists. We ourselves have been looking for new sales employees for over nine months. Applications are scarce, and the applicants we have are not qualified for the occupational field. I myself have personally received seven or eight requests from headhunters over the last half year. The labor market is presently greatly understaffed,” as an Energy Business graduate of FH Kufstein Tirol who works in the sector reports.
The study program is a full-time practice-oriented combination of technology, business administration and management with a study duration of six semesters. Students develop an understanding for the resource-optimized generation and transmission of energy as they learn about efficient usage of resources and understand market mechanisms for trading regenerative energies. They become technical specialists for environmental and sustainability certifications and are able to implement regional energy and innovative mobility concepts.
The study program is rounded off with a semester abroad, integrated practical projects and an internship and thereby offers comprehensive and sustainable education that is urgently needed on the labor market.
* Subject to accreditation by AQ Austria