By 2005, the demand for IT specialists in Europe will surpass the supply by 20 per cent, according to analysis by the International Data Corporation (IDC). The lack of qualified labour in the IT market will be highest in Eastern European countries and those outside the EU, reaching an undersupply of nearly 30 per cent. Bulgaria is not immune to this worldwide phenomenon.
Last year, Bulgaria needed 1000 specialists to catch up with the necessities of the growing economic market. In 2008, Bulgaria will need nearly 3000 IT specialists to feed the constant demand from employers, who realise with each passing day the vital need for information, communication and technology.
In February 2002, the European Commission said that the existence of a large number of available positions on the IT market was one of the most serious concerns of the employer. In coming years, the EU faces the challenge to create, develop and attract new talents.
Because of the unprecedented investment in higher technology, regional businesses in Central and Eastern Europe have grown and expanded in recent years. Not to mention that many international companies such as Hewlett Packard, Ajilon and SITEL began outsourcing or moving productions to Bulgaria. Siemens also announced earlier this year that it would be producing some of its high-tech in the country.
This recent growth has increased the demand for qualified IT specialists in Bulgaria. “It’s a myth that the country has enough qualified personnel in the IT sector,” said Nedret Recep, technical manager of Stanga.net, a full service internet and software company, quoted in Dnevnik. Although there are many qualified specialists in the region, they tend to gravitate toward job offers from companies and organisations in Western Europe and the US. Thus, the outflow of specialised labour poses an obstacle to regional development.
The low number of people applying for and being admitted to technical universities also accounts for the insufficient supply in Bulgaria, according to a portal on higher education (vobg.net). Also, higher education currently does not offer modern specialisations that are unconnected, for example, to business and thus solely dedicated to information technology.
Recently, the University of Sofia in Bulgaria initiated a project to set up a new applied science faculty. The high technology that has entered all areas of society is not only creating new jobs, but also changing existing ones. More than 60 per cent of the new job opportunities in Europe are based on knowledge and skills in the area of high technology. New conditions, work methods and organizational methods are being created in order to encourage specialists to fulfil their careers in Bulgaria, the report said.
The specialisations available at universities throughout Bulgaria do not adapt flexibly to the growing number of different professions, and thus available studies do not correspond to the needs of the market. Many companies are forced to train incoming staff because there is nowhere to get the relevant training. “The lack of skilled specialists forces us to offer additional attractive conditions or opportunities for education or for continuing studies,” said Sirma Nakova of the HR department at Sensor-Nite Industrial, for Dnevnik.
At the moment, the problems concerning the lack of IT specialists are not only the responsibility of the Ministry of Education and Science, said Orlin Kruzov, adviser to the Ministry of Education and Science for Information, Communication Technologies. In Bulgaria, the reasons for the lack of specialists go deeper than the inability of institutions of higher education to adapt to the fast pace of changes surrounding the IT market, he says.
The concept of information and communication technology needs to be included throughout early education, with constant access to computers in order to develop lasting practices. Computer technology needs to be taught from an early age in order for individuals to accept the inevitable need and direction of society, said Kruzov. This year, IT will taught as early as fifth grade in schools.
A new structure needs to be adopted by the universities with regard to sponsorship and investment, said Kruzov. It is not enough that the government gives aid to universities; it is important for business to begin investing, because there is a future in developing the IT industry.
Despite recent rumours, Bulgaria is not among the worst in 20th position in the IDC report, with a 11.2 per cent excess demand of IT specialists recorded in 2005. However, the current problem has been around in recent years, and is expected to worsen in the next two years, when the percentage will double.
In coming years, specialists that fit the profile of network security, wireless technology, a combination of technological skills will be increasingly sought after. Most qualified network specialists in Bulgaria get their education at Cisco system centres, either attached to universities or specialist high schools.
At the Career 2006 job fair in Sofia earlier this year, it became clear that the most sought after professionals were those in the area of engineer and computer specialists who know a foreign language. More software and computer companies participated in the fair this year, and most offered jobs without any internship or trial period. Cisco systems has organised a job portal called JobTiger in order to facilitate the process between employers and IT specialists looking to be hired.
Widespread penetration of modern technologies throughout Europe, the fast development of the electronic business, as well as the insufficient number of education programmes in European countries have been key reasons for this gap between needs of the IT industry and availability of qualified personnel.
By 2008, it is foreseen that the deficit of specialists in Europe will increase to 500 000 people. About 80 per cent of international employers are experiencing difficulties with recruitment of high-skilled IT specialists. In general, Western Europe does have a smaller deficit than the East.
