ICT specialists: need for 40,000 specialists by 2026
The future demand for ICT specialists remains unmet. The booming demand in the areas of programming, consulting, operations and cloud services, as well as the sharp increase in retirements, will lead to a shortage of 40,000 ICT specialists by 2026.
Swiss industry has a great need for ICT specialists. Business and public administration are called upon to create more ICT apprenticeships. Apprenticeships are the central gateway to higher vocational education and training and universities of applied sciences and thus the most important lever for meeting the future demand for qualified specialists.
High demand
Every two years, ICT-Berufsbildung Schweiz analyses the skilled labour situation in the occupational field of information and communication technology (ICT). Since 2010, the occupational field has grown by 29 percent to 199,200 people and will continue to grow to 236,200 people by 2026.
The shortage: Switzerland needs to train 40,000 more skilled workers to meet demand
The total demand for ICT specialists (88,500) can only be partially covered by the expected labour market entry of new graduates (31,500, 36 percent) and by immigration (16,700, 19 percent). In order to meet the rising demand, a good 40,000 additional specialists will have to be trained over the next few years.
The drivers
Rising demand in ICT core industry and increasing demographic effects are the
drivers. Likewise, the demand for ICT specialists and the rapidly advancing digitalization of the economy and administration are having consequences. This is leading to a booming demand for skilled workers in the ICT core industry of services with the sub-sectors of programming, consulting, operations and cloud services.
In addition, the demographic effects are now also having an impact on the ICT occupational field. In the period from 2017 to 2026, 21,700 employees will retire. Compared to the period from 2012 to 2021, this corresponds to a growth of 43 percent.
The asked
There is a need for additional training in all ICT occupations. However, the demand for application developers (+13,500, +46 percent) and ICT system engineers (+6,800, +49 percent) is particularly acute.
Seize the opportunity, secure prosperity
ICT-Berufsbildung Schweiz is committed to the training and use of the domestic potential for skilled workers, as Managing Director Serge Frech notes: "The economy and public administration are called upon to create more ICT apprenticeships. ICT apprenticeships are the central gateway to higher vocational training and universities of applied sciences and thus the most important lever for meeting the future demand for qualified specialists."
For more information, see the full media kit on our website (presentations, full study): https://www.ict-berufsbildung.ch/themen/news
