Public-private collaboration to address IT skills gap

The state and the private sector are joining forces to try and bridge the gaps in the jobs market in the IT sector with a targeted programme to attract and re-train qualified employees in the fast-growing industry, particularly in data analytics.

A conference on Friday to discuss the ‘ICT Re-UP Skilling’ programme included the deputy ministry of research, innovation and digital policy in collaboration with the ministry of labour, the office of the communications commissioner and the Pancyprian association of IT companies (Citea).

The new deputy minister of research, Nikodemos Damianou said digital skills were now a prerequisite for quality jobs and also essential for innovation, productivity and sustainability.

The ICT Re-UP Skilling programme is the beginning of the development of a wider series of educational programmes. “This initiative is proof of the coherent approach and the constructive cooperation that can be achieved between the private and public sectors with the aim of accelerating the digital transformation of our country,” he said.

Labour Minister Yiannis Panayiotou, referring to unemployment in Cyprus, said that in 2023 the figure stood at just over 6 per cent. He believes that with the cooperation of the state and employers’ organisations, this can be reduced in the coming period.

The president of Citea, Demetris Nisiotis, said that IT companies were currently facing a very serious problem of finding staff, adding that there were quite large needs which could not be met by existing human resources nor by new entrants to the labour market.

He said there were fewer IT professionals in Cyprus than the EU average. Based on the 2023 Digital Economy and Society Index (Desi) the percentage of IT professionals in Cyprus in 2022 was 3.9 per cent compared with the EU average of 4.5 per cent, while the proportion of students taking IT studies in 2022 was 2.7 per cent compared with the EU average of 3.9 per cent.

“These figures show that a change of pace is needed to supply the economy and society with an adequate number of IT specialists,” he said.

“It is clear that we need to change pace, not just improve, and to do this we need to take drastic action starting for example at school with the aim of producing students with digital skills and aiming to increase the number of students following IT or the sciences in general,” he added.

He said these were however long-term goals and that short-term solutions were needed, especially in data analytics.

The current programme, he said, was aimed at the unemployed and persons not only with a degree in science and economics.

There will be an information conference on February 2 for the upskilling programme. Applications to join the programme must be submitted by February 16. This will be followed by the evaluation of the applications and interviews which will be completed by March 8 with the aim of selecting up to 15 people.

Priority will be given to the unemployed. The programme will start on March 18, for training in the field of data analytics and will last for ten weeks. It will be followed by exams and the awarding of certifications.