Abstract:

The popularity of Industrial Engineering and Management (IEM) degree programs at Austrian Universities and Universities of Applied Sciences (so called Higher Education Institutions - HEIs) and the demand of IEM graduates on the labor market is still bigger than the offer. The changes in the higher education system in Europe initiated by the Bologna Process caused the establishment of a wide range of IEM degree programs offered by HEIs. Therefore, the Austrian IEM degree program landscape is under ongoing dynamics because Austrian federal law motivated Universities of Applied sciences to establish many industry-driven IEM degree programs in the last two decades. Beside that existing IEM degree programs syllabuses are under a constant adaption process to the needs of society and industry. Although, this dynamic is pleased by the Austrian Alumni Association of IEM it leads to a loss of transparency and overview of IEM degree programs and their provided qualification profile for prospective students, IEM graduates and human resource (HR) managers. Therefore, the presented study pursues two goals: Firstly, an updated overview of the present IEM degree program landscape on Austrian HEIs - based on a primary and a secondary data analysis as well as on a former study conducted in 2014. Secondly, the competence profile of IEM Professionals is displayed on the basis of two online primary data analyses among:
(i) IEM Professionals and IEM Students (sample size 5805) and among
(ii) HR managers (sample size 1850).

Out of the study the „3 pillars of IEM“, which are „Natural Science and Engineering“, „Integration Subjects“ and „Economics“ were updated. Based on that a comparison of the present 46 IEM degree programs on Austrian HEIs recognized by the Austrian Alumni Association of IEM on the basis of their „Technical“ and „Economics and Integration“ ratio of their qualification profile was done. This analysis displays the importance of the subjects “Project Management“, “General Business Economics“ and “General Management“ for IEMs. Furthermore, the data show that IEM Professionals, IEM Students and HR Managers estimate the ideal ratio of „Technics“ and „Economics“ subjects for an IEM degree program as approx. 60% to 40%. Regarding language skills, the most needed foreign language of Austrian IEM Professionals throughout their careers is English followed by French, Spanish and Italian. Finally, the fields of operation of IEM Professionals from their first job to their fourth job were analyzed. The career path of IEM Professionals develops over time from operational tasks at the first job to leadership tasks in their following jobs.

The findings of the study may:
(i) help HR managers to gain transparency throughout IEM study programs in Austria and
(ii) provide empirically-packed recommendations for HEIs on how to design study programs that increase the likelihood of a life-long employability of IEM professionals graduated from Austrian Universities and Universities of Applied Sciences.

Keywords:

Industrial Engineering and Management, Career Path, Competences, Higher Education Institution.