Covid-19 demonstrated the importance of a functioning infrastructure and ICT. As a result, the number of vacancies for ICT workers remained high, unlike some other sectors, where Covid-19 caused people to lose their jobs.
Together with Technology, Education and Care, ICT has been identified by the UWV as one of the most promising sectors in which to find a job. There is therefore an opportunity to keep unemployment rates low after the health crisis and to (partially) solve the shortage of ICT professionals. In addition to new entrants from school, we will also have to look at transitions of employees between sectors.
There are several (regional) initiatives dedicated to retraining people towards ICT. The Human Capital Agenda ICT, with its partners, has made a plan to train and retrain more than 36,000 additional people over four years by scaling up these regional initiatives, involving more than 12,000 companies.
Besides the importance of full retraining, the figures from the labor market survey presented today also show that it is very important for everyone to keep developing their digital skills. Digitization of the labor market means that jobs are changing and some professions are disappearing. However, the same digitalization makes it possible to make the transition to other work relatively easily, while maintaining or even increasing salary. To make the transition to other work possible, employees must (be able to) continue to develop. That is why the government, education and social partners are taking action: Lifelong development must become the norm.
Digitization is putting pressure on all sectors. The need for ICT specialists is growing, particularly in the top sectors of Energy, Chemistry, Life Sciences & Health and HTSM. At the same time, the demand for the right (digital) competencies is increasing in almost all positions. One consequence is that differences in job characteristics and requirements between occupations are decreasing. This makes the labor market more dynamic, as switching to other occupations in other sectors becomes easier.
The switching opportunities shown by the ICT labor market research with top sectors 2020 are particularly relevant for those who fear losing their jobs in the future. It is necessary for them to upskill on specific competencies that were not required in the previous job but are in the new one. This "Lifelong Development" must now become the norm. This requires a cultural shift in companies and in education, and an active attitude on the part of workers. Lifelong Development in the coming years must be about investing in digital competencies and soft skills.
The Labor Market Research ICT with Top Sectors 2020 was conducted by CentERdata on the initiative of Training Fund Labor Market ICT (CA-ICT), NLdigital, the CIO Platform Netherlands, the Human Capital Top Sectors and the top sectors Energy, Chemistry, Life Sciences & Health, Water & Maritime, Agri & Food + Horticulture and Starting Materials and HTSM. The research report was digitally handed over by Louis Spaninks, director CA-ICT, to Lotte de Bruijn, director NLdigital and ambassador Human Capital Agenda ICT, on Thursday, November 19.
The research report can be found on the CA-ICT website.
