COMPOSITES EUROPE 2012 Blog

11 March this year saw the launch of the new international “Composites” Masters course, being held in English, at the Private University of Applied Sciences in Göttingen.  This means that now, for the first time in Europe, there is a course of studies aimed at resolving the international shortage of graduates in fibre-reinforced plastics. 21 engineers from Spain, France, the United Kingdom, India and Germany will now become experts in carbon composites during the three-semester course.

The recruitment and training of specialists are gaining in significance for companies in the industry – and not only in Germany – thanks to the success story of fibre-reinforced plastics and the steady growth of the sector.  The Göttingen higher education institution has made a name for itself as a source of new talent for the composites industry. The first students enrolled on German Bachelors and Masters courses in Composite Materials four years ago.

The engineering specialisation has been steadily gaining in popularity ever since. Including the new entrants, there are currently 180 students on the Bachelors and Masters study programmes. 79 students have already graduated from the German-language “Verbundwerkstoffe/Composites” programme. These are now working in various application areas of fibre-reinforced plastics such as the aerospace, automotive and engineering industries.

The success of this programme was a key factor in the institution’s decision to offer an international Masters course. “Together with our trustee partner Airbus we have worked hard to widen the access of the programme to include international engineers.  We will now be training specialists for the French, Spanish and UK markets to the same high standard as on our Germany-oriented Master programme,” said Prof. Dr. Bernt R. A. Sierke, President of the PFH.

The international Composites Europe (CE) trade fair, to be held in Essen in September, provides a networking platform where potential candidates and companies looking for suitable recruits can meet.  In the “Recruiting Area” young people can talk to companies, have their applications checked over by a recruitment agency and receive personal advice on aptitude, applications and starting out in work.  Companies, for their part, have the opportunity to identify committed and suitably qualified potential new employees.

New course at the Göttingen Private University of Applied Sciences: a new international Masters course in “Composites”, being held in English, has been launched (photo: PFH)

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