Telecom Engineering: Surplus in Spain, Shortage in Europe
Cut-off marks at 5, too many telecom engineers in Spain but too few in Europe. Analysis of a crisis-ridden engineering field: low salaries, outdated curricula and the AI challenge.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Telecom Engineering: The Degree That's Oversupplied in Spain but Scarce Abroad
The cut-off marks for Telecommunications Engineering at many public universities in Madrid have dropped to 5.00. There are more places than students. The question many ask: are telecom engineers an endangered species or victims of a labour market that doesn't know how to value them?
The Boom That Produced an Army of Graduates
In the early 2000s, with the dot-com bubble and massive infrastructure rollout, telecom engineering schools multiplied. Degrees were peine left and right — technical and higher — feeding a promise of golden employment that today sounds like a fairy tale. Before the bubble even burst, the market was already becoming saturated. The result: a cursed engineering degree, with high turnover and starting salaries around €25,000 a year at consultancies like Deloitte or Accenture, according to industry accounts.
Curriculum: Between Signal Theory and Lightweight Computer Science
One of the most recurring criticisms targets the curriculum. Classic engineering subjects — chemistry, technical drawing, strength of materials — were removed to give more weight to computer science, but without the depth the market demands. The result: a profile that is neither a real engineer for the industrial sector nor a pure computer scientist for the tech sector. Programmes are still dominated by signal theory, an area many consider obsolete for current demands. At the same time, training in networks and computer systems is relegated to private certifications (Cisco, etc.) that students must pay for themselves.
The Cainite Feud with Computer Science: Intrusion or Retraining?
Another constant is the tension with computer engineers. Telecom engineers have traditionally filled programming and systems roles, which generates a resentment some describe as an absurd war. While some argue that telecom engineers lack the theoretical foundation of computer scientists, others defend that their multidisciplinary training allows them to adapt to any technical area. The market reality is that many job offers for telecom engineers fit consulting or commercial roles — the "tie-wearing smoke seller" — while purely technical profiles have more difficulty finding employment.
Spain vs. Europe: Two Markets for the Same Degree
The consensus is that in Spain there are too many, but abroad there are too few. While here telecom engineers compete with thousands of graduates and falling salaries, in Germany or the Nordic countries demand is high and pay significantly better. Emigration appears as the natural exit for those who want to practise their profession with guarantees. However, retraining is not easy: moving from telecom to industrial engineering — a step some consider natural — requires mastering subjects like thermodynamics or soil mechanics, which are barely touched in the telecommunications curriculum.
The Threat of Artificial Intelligence
In the latest messages of the thread, AI bursts in as a new variable. Those who until now translated user requirements into code — the traditional role of the engineer — are beginning to be replaced by generative models. The figure of the analyst or the PMP could be on the way to extinction, and telecom engineers, due to their generalist profile, would be among the most exposed. Some argue that telecommunications engineering, as originally conceived, is already a walking labour corpse. Others, more optimistic, point out that an engineer's ability to retrain is their greatest asset.
The End of an Era?
After more than fifteen years of debate, the initial question still has no conclusive answer. Cut-off marks continue to fall, salaries are not recovering and AI is advancing. Meanwhile, the proliferation of new degrees — Bioengineering, Cybersecurity, Data Science, etc. — has further fragmented a market once shared by four classic engineering disciplines. Today's telecom engineer faces a dilemma: specialise or emigrate. Or, as a majority current suggests, accept that the degree no longer guarantees anything and that the future belongs to those who adapt fastest.
Related discussions in the forum
The cut-off marks for Telecommunications Engineering at many public universities in Madrid have dropped to 5.00. There are more places than students. The question many ask: are telecom engineers an endangered species or victims of a labour market that doesn't know how to value them?
The Boom That Produced an Army of Graduates
In the early 2000s, with the dot-com bubble and massive infrastructure rollout, telecom engineering schools multiplied. Degrees were peine left and right — technical and higher — feeding a promise of golden employment that today sounds like a fairy tale. Before the bubble even burst, the market was already becoming saturated. The result: a cursed engineering degree, with high turnover and starting salaries around €25,000 a year at consultancies like Deloitte or Accenture, according to industry accounts.
Curriculum: Between Signal Theory and Lightweight Computer Science
One of the most recurring criticisms targets the curriculum. Classic engineering subjects — chemistry, technical drawing, strength of materials — were removed to give more weight to computer science, but without the depth the market demands. The result: a profile that is neither a real engineer for the industrial sector nor a pure computer scientist for the tech sector. Programmes are still dominated by signal theory, an area many consider obsolete for current demands. At the same time, training in networks and computer systems is relegated to private certifications (Cisco, etc.) that students must pay for themselves.
The Cainite Feud with Computer Science: Intrusion or Retraining?
Another constant is the tension with computer engineers. Telecom engineers have traditionally filled programming and systems roles, which generates a resentment some describe as an absurd war. While some argue that telecom engineers lack the theoretical foundation of computer scientists, others defend that their multidisciplinary training allows them to adapt to any technical area. The market reality is that many job offers for telecom engineers fit consulting or commercial roles — the "tie-wearing smoke seller" — while purely technical profiles have more difficulty finding employment.
Spain vs. Europe: Two Markets for the Same Degree
The consensus is that in Spain there are too many, but abroad there are too few. While here telecom engineers compete with thousands of graduates and falling salaries, in Germany or the Nordic countries demand is high and pay significantly better. Emigration appears as the natural exit for those who want to practise their profession with guarantees. However, retraining is not easy: moving from telecom to industrial engineering — a step some consider natural — requires mastering subjects like thermodynamics or soil mechanics, which are barely touched in the telecommunications curriculum.
The Threat of Artificial Intelligence
In the latest messages of the thread, AI bursts in as a new variable. Those who until now translated user requirements into code — the traditional role of the engineer — are beginning to be replaced by generative models. The figure of the analyst or the PMP could be on the way to extinction, and telecom engineers, due to their generalist profile, would be among the most exposed. Some argue that telecommunications engineering, as originally conceived, is already a walking labour corpse. Others, more optimistic, point out that an engineer's ability to retrain is their greatest asset.
The End of an Era?
After more than fifteen years of debate, the initial question still has no conclusive answer. Cut-off marks continue to fall, salaries are not recovering and AI is advancing. Meanwhile, the proliferation of new degrees — Bioengineering, Cybersecurity, Data Science, etc. — has further fragmented a market once shared by four classic engineering disciplines. Today's telecom engineer faces a dilemma: specialise or emigrate. Or, as a majority current suggests, accept that the degree no longer guarantees anything and that the future belongs to those who adapt fastest.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (257 replies).
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