The Chamber of Commerce warns that our local businesses could miss the boat. More skilled workers are needed to expand digitization.
Business people in Carinthia are sounding the alarm. Many companies lack the experts for the urgently needed digitization. “Without IT specialists, there will be neither a green nor a digital transformation in the country,” warns Martin Zandonella, WK chairman of the IT specialist group. There are currently 1,400 vacant IT positions in Carinthia – as a result, the business location loses 245 million euros in added value every year.Acute shortage in the next few yearsAnd the shortage is likely to become even more acute in the next few years. “According to current studies, there will be a shortage of 2,300 IT specialists in Carinthia alone in the next seven years. These are worrying numbers,” says Zandonella. Even the offer of computer science courses at the Alpen-Adria-Universität and technical courses at the FH Carinthia and the HTL cannot stop this trend. For this reason, the Chamber of Commerce is calling for specific measures from state politicians to promote training at all levels. Arousing interest in technical professions Technical objects should be the focus of attention even in kindergarten and elementary school, and more women in particular should be encouraged to take up technical professions. In addition, they want a nationwide network of universities, HTL and schools. Training is good, but there is a lack of specialists Of around 240 HTL graduates, only 40 find their way to Carinthian universities. “The general public is not yet aware of the job and career opportunities in IT. A lot has happened in the last few years in particular,” emphasizes the WK chairman. “The various IT training courses are good, but there are too few skilled workers in the economy.” Up to 600 new jobs are created in Carinthia every year – compared to around 70 bachelor’s and 80 HTL graduates.
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