Analysis of the Lack of Technological Knowledge of High School Students and its Effects on Engineering Schools, Postgraduate Studies, and as Future Industry 4.0 Professionals

There is a 40% dropout in the first year in engineering schools in Catalonia, and in the following years, there is also a dropout even though it is more difficult to quantify. The working hypothesis on university dropout has been defined for two factors, one internal and one external. The internal factor is caused by the educational methodologies used in the engineering schools; the external is caused by the lack of knowledge of the students mainly in the use of technological tools derived from the previous educational stages. On the other hand, we know about the demands of employers who continue to bemoan the lack of technical and professional skills of graduates for Industry 4.0, and according to Barcelona Digital Talent, the Catalan industry needs 12,000 IT workers and the abandonment widens this labor gap. A test was designed to determine the causes of dropout in university engineering schools. Initially intended for baccalaureate students who had studied the scientific and technological branch, it has been extended to first-year computer engineering students and a master's course at a business school. In addition, the test results of the students have also been used in the framework of TPACK to infer indirectly the influence of the teachers on the answers given by the students. These factors contribute to school dropout and also explain the lack of necessary skills in Industry 4.0 on the part of workers.