Skill and qualification needs at a time of structural change: the example of the IT sector in Germany

Research being conducted by the Federal Institute for Vocational Training (BIBB) as part of the initiative for Early Identification of Qualification Needs of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) includes analysis of job advertisements. The results presented here are based on a representative sample of advertisements for jobs in IT [information technology] and a subsequent survey of the advertisers. Qualification and skill requirements for new recruits to this highly innovative activity are very demanding. Employers are mainly looking for highly specialised personnel. Although the posts on offer usually stipulate graduates of universities or specialised colleges of higher education, employers in fact put more weight on specialised knowledge and experience than on paper qualifications. Besides specialised knowledge, soft skills, such as the ability to work in a team and to communicate well, are indispensable for successful applicants. The rapid pace of innovation in the IT sector means that new employees must be willing to undergo regular further training. The difficulty employers encounter in finding personnel with the appropriate skills is reflected in the fact that about a fifth of job vacancies remain unfilled six months after being advertised. Employers describe the lack of combined specialist and soft skills as candidates’ principal shortcoming.