Educated Workforce with Relevant Business and Technical Skills
The Czech Republic combines an outstanding level of general education with strong science and engineering disciplines. Technical education in the Czech Republic has a long tradition and enjoys a strong reputation around the world. The availability of graduates in technical fields creates a perfect environment for both manufacturing and R&D-oriented companies. Czech Technical University in Prague is one of the biggest and oldest technical universities in Europe. Roughly one-third of Czech students study economics, finance or IT.
School attendance is compulsory from age six to 15 (elementary and lower secondary school). After nine years, students may continue at three basic types of upper secondary school: vocational training centers, secondary schools and high schools (gymnazium). Undergraduate and graduate studies are offered by colleges (offering three to four-year bachelor's programs) and universities, which also offer master's and doctoral programs.
Public universities offer programs ranging from ICT and electronics to life sciences and humanities, while a number of private institutions offer mainly business administration or economic programs. According to statistics from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport for academic year 2017/2018, there are currently nearly 300,000 university students and more than 72,000 graduates.
TOTAL UNIVERSITY STUDENTS AND GRADUATES IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC BY FIELD OF STUDY
Academic year 2017/2018
| Study Program |
Students |
Graduates |
| ICT |
29,026 |
6,197 |
| BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (HR included) |
64,286 |
17,358 |
| HR |
1,943 |
741 |
| ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING |
14,370 |
3,278 |
| AUTOMOTIVE |
24,619 |
6,008 |
| MECHANICAL ENGINEERING |
14,747 |
3,321 |
| TECHNICAL PROGRAMS, TOTAL (Total for technical faculties, not only technical programs) |
85,757 |
20,794 |
| NANOTECHNOLOGY AND MATERIALS |
6,833 |
1,777 |
| ENERGY |
8,415 |
2,146 |
| CHEMISTRY/BIOCHEMISTRY |
17,007 |
3,900 |
| PHARMACY |
3,019 |
566 |
| MEDICINE |
32,584 |
6,092 |
| LIFE SCIENCES, TOTAL (chemistry, pharmacy, medicine) |
52,610 |
10,558 |
| AEROSPACE - Related fileds of study |
19,333 |
5,051 |
| LAW |
10,467 |
1,614 |
| LANGUAGES |
13,071 |
2,836 |
Source: Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, 2018
Source: Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, 2017. Note: There are no universities in the Karlovy Vary region.
Languages skills
According to the EF EPI English Proficiency Index, the Czech Republic ranks twentieth among the 88 countries with a high degree of proficiency in English.
Knowledge of languages among the Czech population is expanding every year. Instruction of foreign languages begins in kindergarten. However, mandatory instruction of the first foreign language begins in the third grade of elementary school (at the age of eight) and the second language in the eighth grade of elementary school (at the age of thirteen). Language instruction continues at secondary schools and universities. The most frequently taught languages are English and German. Russian is still common among the older generation.
Source: Sociological Survey, STEM, 2014