IT skills shortage

Around 800 unfilled positions available in Carinthia

In order to counteract drop-out rates at universities in the ICT sector and to get more young people interested in IT, there is an appeal for an early solution to the problem. For the UBIT trade association, the main problem in IT education lies right at the beginning of school education - in elementary school. 

Despite around 800 vacant IT positions, companies can only fill an average of 75 percent of their IT positions due to a shortage of skilled workers. With an annual loss in added value of 140 million euros - 174,000 euros per unfilled position for Carinthia alone - the economic setback is clearly noticeable. Without the right IT experts, a location will no longer be internationally competitive in the long term.

"We need to reduce the drop-out rates at Austrian universities in the field of computer science, because they are alarmingly high! 40 percent of students drop out of ICT bachelor's programs and are thus lost to the industry."

mahnt Martin Zanolla, Obmann der Wirtschaftskammer Sparte Information und Consulting.

In order to reduce the drop-out rate, the entire education must be restructured. A reduction of ten percent across Austria would mean 1000 fewer dropouts.

What is the situation at Carinthia's universities?
At the University of Klagenfurt, 861 ICT study places were recorded in the winter semester 21/22. In the period 2015-2020, however, only 145 Master's students in ICT left the university - that's an average of 30 graduates per year!
In the same period, 49 students completed their Master's degree at the Carinthia University of Applied Sciences - an average of 10 graduates per year

"These figures clearly show the gap. More young people, and girls in particular, need to be encouraged to enter the ICT sector"

, fordert Zandonella.

In order to ensure a quicker entry into IT, other entry options, such as an IT apprenticeship or the Dual Academy for high school graduates and university dropouts, would certainly be an option. At the Dual Academy - a trainee program - students can complete training in IT systems technology or application development/coding.

"For companies and young people, this is an attractive new form of practice-oriented training for exciting new career paths to gain a foothold in the IT sector - a win-win situation for both sides,

so Marc Gfrerer, IT-Berufsgruppensprecher der WK Fachgruppe UBIT.

"Versatile career opportunities including a job guarantee are still unknown to the masses. In order to counteract a shortage of skilled workers from an early age in the future, basic IT training should be introduced from elementary school onwards and careers guidance should be reformed at secondary school level. We are already actively taking measures to combat the shortage of skilled workers, but politicians must also do something," emphasizes Gfrerer.