Minister Sigrun Aasland: "Technology and engineering are a high priority"
When Minister of Research and Higher Education Sigrun Aasland met NITO's Vice President Safina de Klerk and student leader Sofie Strøm Olsen this week, she promised to prioritize science subjects.
- Technology subjects and engineering will be a high priority in the future. Then we need to have more students who want to apply for science subjects," Aasland said to de Klerk in connection with the visit.
The minister pointed out that she received a lot of good input during the meetings at the Museum of Science and Technology in Oslo. Aasland encourages young people to take a science course.
There are many fun studies that provide interesting, important jobs in the restructuring work. We will continue to work to lift them up," Aasland promised.
Safina and Sofie presented some of NITO's policies that can help more people choose science studies.
This is what they discussed in the meeting:
Digital understanding and critical thinking
Digital competence must be integrated into the educational pathways, regardless of the field of study. Artificial intelligence is a tool that must be used with critical reflection and source criticism. Interdisciplinary collaboration is the key to success.
Recruitment to technology and engineering programmes
To meet society's need for technological expertise, we must start by recruiting for engineering and technology education early. This means, among other things, solving the maths subject's "PR problem" and promoting good role models for young people. At the same time, we must preserve the pathways to engineering education for those with a trade certificate and vocational school through schemes such as the Y-pathway, pre-courses, science courses and three-semester schemes.
Lifelong learning
It is crucial to facilitate continuing and further education. Cooperation between the business community and educational institutions is key. Experiential master's degrees, online courses, and micro-courses are flexible solutions that can help keep your workforce up to date.
More biomedical laboratory technicians – a critical need
There is a great need for more study places in the biomedical laboratory sciences. The number of applications is increasing, and the interest is there – now we have to meet the demand. Biomedical laboratory technicians are essential for the health sector.
From student to working life
The transition between education and working life must be strengthened. More internships and internships will equip students for working life. Minister Aasland encouraged employers to give graduates a chance and take them into practice.
