IT Sector Needs Up to 3 Times More Specialists
Estonia needs two to three times more IT specialists in order to ensure development of the sector, analysis by the Development Fund reveals.
According to Äripäev, experts in the field have said that although the nation’s IT sector can put up with the existing workload with its current resource of around 7,000 specialists, that figure is by far not sufficient for further development of the sector.
Maria Kütt, head of human resources at one of the largest employers in Estonia, telecommunications company Elion, said that the nation mostly lacks IT architects and network experts. "It takes, on the average, up to six months to hire an outside specialist who also possesses a grasp of the workings of the organization besides excellent professional skills," she said.
Enn Saar, a board member of the Association of Information Technology and Telecommunications said that the shortage is now directly affecting the expansion of Estonian enterprises onto foreign markets.
In addition, the current situation also inhibits the entry of foreign IT centers, which expect at once to recruit hundreds of local specialists when expanding to new countries, said Saar.
Ingrid Teesalu