Berlin  - Women continue to lack enthusiasm for technical fields, whether in academia or the workforce, according to a new German study.

According to the survey by Bitkom, an industrial association, half of new university students in autumn 2007 were female. But women only make up 16 per cent of students in fields such as computer science, engineering and electrical engineering.

A higher percentage of female students enrolled in civil engineering - 25 per cent. Additionally, mathematic courses enjoyed nearly 50 per cent female enrollment.

The number of women seeking apprenticeships in technological fields actually declined, from 14 per cent in 2002 to 9.1 per cent in 2007.

The lack of women in fields like engineering or information technology is aggravating an already tight job market, Bitkom noted. Germany already faces a shortfall of 40,000 IT experts and 90,000 engineers.

Bitkom President August-Wilhelm Scheer says colleges should work to increase the number of women enrolled in technical fields. He recommended more cooperation with grammar schools, mentoring programmes and more scholarships for talented students.

But interest in technical fields should be nurtured before students reach university and attempts to reach out to girls and young women are few and far between. (dpa)