Civil engineering? It’s all over the place. When you look around, you realise that everything that is built has something to do with civil engineering. Monumental and fascinating works such as bridges, towers and aqueducts are masterpieces.

The recent Ordinary General Meeting of the OTIA-Ordine Ingegneri e Architetti del Cantone Ticino was an opportunity to question the possibilities that can arise from the shortage of skilled labour in our region, given that there is a decrease in the number of young people in Switzerland who choose to study civil engineering (and consequently a decrease in the number of young people entering the world of work). During its Assembly, the OTIA promoted a round table discussion moderated by Cristina Pagani, civil engineer and OTIA Council member, which was attended by Christian Vitta, President of the Ticino Council of State and Director of the Department of Finance and Economy, Guido De Carli, head hunter and business coach at ARU SA, and Jean-Pierre Candeloro, Director of the Department of environment constructions and design SUPSI in Mendrisio.

In his introduction, Stefano Bernasconi, president of OTIA and adjunct professor at SUPSI, where he has been teaching for over twenty years, emphasised the importance of being creative, of being able to innovate in the profession. ‘Engineers today are seen by many in the profession as mere ‘implementers’, figures who diligently apply rules to implement pre-packaged provisions,’ Bernasconi said. ‘I have the impression that there is a growing fear of the new, of innovation, of the untried, forgetting that technological development has always been nourished by professionals who have trodden new paths'.

An encouragement, in short, ‘to the possibility of daring, surprising and creating. I am convinced that by doing so, we will be able to do our work in a more satisfactory manner and, above all, re-evaluate the image of our professions in society, which is now somewhat tarnished. It is, however, essential to be aware of how important our professions are, since they have a strong impact on the landscape that surrounds us, on the territory in which we live, on the nature in which we are immersed and, in general, on the future of society'.

For his part, Jean-Pierre Candeloro, Director of the Department of environment constructions and design at SUPSI, emphasised that the profession is ‘full of opportunities, but probably perceived as challenging by the younger generations and may present a mismatch between expectations and professional reality: social change of the role, salaries, time for professional independence, responsibilities, work-life balance’.
Candeloro pointed out that undoubtedly ‘communicating career opportunities, important achievements in the area and the positive impact that these professions can have on society and the environment, also in line with the principles of environmental sustainability and social responsibility, helps young people to better understand what they can expect. The Department of environment constructions and design is constantly working to keep the curricula up-to-date and in line with innovation in technology, as well as those social and environmental aspects that are characteristic and necessary for the profession and the culture of construction. All this enables students to acquire practical and innovative skills that prepare them to work in the profession. Collaboration with the professional sector and trade associations is also essential to enable students to gain direct contact with the world of work during their years of study. On the other hand, there are many professional lecturers among the teaching staff. One of the challenges we pursue at SUPSI is to bring the younger generations closer together as early as high school with targeted orientation activities, such as practical workshops and open doors, to show them the exciting opportunities offered by the professions in the fields of civil engineering and architecture, trying to break down the preconceptions of difficulty and rigidity associated with these paths'.
At SUPSI’s Department of environment constructions and design, among the various training courses, the Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and the Master of Science in Engineering, Civil Engineering profile, are offered, in addition to the Bachelor of Arts in Architecture.