Europe faces an ICT skills shortfall of massive proportions which
the region's educational systems will be unable to fill, says the
European Information Technology Observatory (EITO).
By 2003, claims EITO, Europe risks having 3.8 million vacant
jobs for IT and e-business specialists (including call-centre
staff), which represents 18 per cent of total employment in this
sector. These figures combine shortages in core ICT skills, with a
predicted shortage in e-business skills, plus call-centre skills,
which include technology, operators and marketing.
"Separating these components," comments EITO, "the picture will
be that, in 2003, 13 per cent of the demand for core ICT skills, 7
per cent of that for call centre skills, and 31 per cent for
e-business skills will not be satisfied in Western Europe. This
could lead to an average loss of some 2.5 to 3 per cent of GDP in
Western Europe by 2003."
"This represents an important challenge for Europe and calls for
urgent action to adapt educational systems and retraining
programmes, to promote ASP and outsourcing activities, and adapt
immigration policies towards favouring ICT skills."
But Doctor Bernhard Rohleder, EITO managing director, doesn't
believe Western European and UK educational systems and policies
will be able to provide anywhere near the number of newcomers with
suitable ICT skills. "Since 1995 this has been flagged up as an
issue by the European Commission but there had been no impact in
schools and universities. We fear that educational systems will
always be lagging behind."
He says selective immigration of skilled IT staff from outside
the EU could help fill the gap, but points out that there is
international competition for skilled ICT personnel. Commenting on
the dangers of non-EU IT experts being recruited on low wages -
which some FI readers have expressed concern about - Doctor
Rohleder says the German model offers a solution. There non-EU ICT
staff are offered five year visas, must have a recognised
IT-related degree and are offered a minimum salary of 100,000
DMarks, about £40,000.
EITO estimates that the UK is currently suffering a shortfall of
about 200,000 skilled ICT staff, which will rise to circa 326,000
by 2003.