Companies cannot find qualified staff especially in technical fields. The greatest demand for workers is in technical fields, mainly in the engineering sector. On the other hand, the food industry, transport, and the textiles industry has been recording a decline in the employment rate. These are the key conclusions of a project carried out by the Czech Chamber of Commerce for the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
During several months, experts from the CCC made a thorough analysis of employers` needs, backed up by surveys carried out among companies and by current statistical data. This analysis, which made an independent evaluation of the situation in all 14 regions of the Czech Republic and across various technical fields, also showed that graduates with all levels of qualification in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, telecommunications and computer technology had the best employment opportunities in almost all the regions. There is also a high level of demand for technical professionals both from large companies and small and medium-sized enterprises. Requalification in technical fields highly demanded on the labour market (welders, toolmakers, machinists, electrical technicians etc.) is currently almost absent in the requalification system.
In addition to identifying the core problems, specialists from the Czech Chamber of Commerce also proposed specific measures in the area of human resources development and vocational training which should resolve these problems and strengthen the competitiveness of Czech businesses. The analysis` results and proposals for measures were discussed by participants of the conference "Employers` Needs in Human Resources Development - Vocational Education and Business Competitiveness" which was jointly organised by the Czech Chamber of Commerce and the Ministry of Industry and Trade in December 2011. The conference where representatives of employers and schools discussed several topics including the cooperation between the education system and the business sector followed an earlier series of discussion seminars held in selected regions of the Czech Republic - Most, Brno and Karlovy Vary.
"This analysis has clearly shown that high quality technical education is one of the fundamental conditions for ensuring a supply of fully qualified employees in various fields of the industry. The shortage of such workers is an ever more pressing problem for our labour market. The key issue is to raise the level of cooperation between employers and educational institutions, so that graduates have the skills and knowledge required by businesses, and to ensure an adequate number of them," Minister of Industry and Trade Martin Kuba said at the conference, adding that: "It`s paradoxical that while hundreds of thousands of people are unable to find work on our labour market, we have been told repeatedly by companies that, despite the, current economic outlook, they can`t find qualified workers they need, especially in technical fields."
Easy to find employees?
The survey carried out by the Chamber of Commerce showed that 60 % of companies have troubles finding workers they need, and more than two thirds of them have particular difficulties finding qualified employees in technical professions. Only around one third of companies claim to have no problems recruiting the staff on the labour market.
"If the state, employers and representatives of schools and their founders do not take a systematic and coordinated action to remedy the current unsatisfactory situation, the shortage of skilled labour will get worse. Older workers, and there are many of them, will retire and there will not be anyone to replace them due to the demographic decline and the disappearance of some segments from the educational system," warns Petr Kužel, President of the Czech Chamber of Commerce.
Moreover, the level of competence of graduates from Czech technical schools often fails to meet the needs and expectations of employers, and the existing structure of the Czech educational system also falls short of what is required. According to the conclusions of the analysis, the educational system does not produce a sufficient supply of professionals in key areas of industry - especially in technical fields. "There is evidently a considerable disproportion on the labour market, and plenty of space for development of cooperation between schools and companies.
As can be seen from the example of Germany, close cooperation between the educational system and the business sector and a greater involvement of trainees in companies pays off. The project of the Ministry of Industry and Trade is a good step defining the problem and draws a roadmap for its solution," said CCC President Kužel in support of the MIT`s activities in this area.
What is needed?
The analysis also confirmed the need for more support and promotion of skilled manual trades and technical fields at schools, more motivation for students to study them, improvement of the quality of teaching in technical fields, and practical training in cooperation with companies. Other opportunities are seen in an increase of the emphasis placed on further education, systems for life-long learning, and targeted retraining programmes in highly demanded fields based on requirements of companies and in cooperation with them (currently engineering and specific industrial and technical fields).
CCC President Kužel also warned against any rash steps such as the closure or merger of technical schools and secondary vocational schools in various regions. "Skilled manual trades and technical fields are at a premium at the moment. It would be worthwhile for the state and regions to support these fields and relevant schools, and young people will also find that education there pays off. If they give it their best efforts, then they'll find opportunities on the market. The Czech economy is built on industry and production, so it`s not viable for a long time for a such a large proportion of secondary school students as we have until now to be composed of young people doing general studies without specific qualifications," stressed Petr Kužel, President of the Czech Chamber of Commerce.
These views were echoed at the conference by Petr Bannert, Director of the Secondary Education Department of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, Miroslav Křížek, Managing Director of the business and investment promotion agency CzechInvest, and Václav Marek of the scientific and engineering professionals support project "Česká hlava".
Key findings of the employers` needs analysis:
- The gap between the quality of graduates and requirements of employers is growing wider, especially due to the fact that companies are making ever greater demands on the quality of expertise and skills. The gap widens mainly in sectors where technological progress is rapid - schools do not update their curricula fast enough, and do not have the funds to equip themselves with modern equipment and software.
- The greatest demand for workers is in technical fields, and above all in the engineering industry. On the other hand, employment rate has been declining in the food industry, the textiles industry, and transport.
- There is a high level of demand for technical professionals both from large companies and small and medium-sized enterprises. There is a lack of these professionals on the market. People educated in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, telecommunications and computer technology have the least troubles finding work. Graduates with all levels of qualification in these fields have the best employment opportunities in practically all the regions studied.
- Requalification in technical fields which are high demanded on the labour market (welders, toolmakers, machinists, electrical technicians etc.) is currently almost absent in the requalification system.
- Employers prefer employees with the following types of abilities: interpersonal relations - people skills, practical skills - experience and know-how, presentation and self-presentation skills, communication skills, independence, loyalty, ability to deal with stressful situations, empathy.
- Abilities whose importance has been rising: the key skills include proficiency in foreign languages and the use of computer technology, willingness to learn, and also adaptability and flexibility; proficiency in information and communication skills is prior to adaptability and flexibility only in one quarter of companies.
- The greatest criticism from companies is targeted at language skills of graduates. An intermediate level of knowledge of English is at the top of the list of their requirements, followed by an intermediate level of knowledge of German. Russian is a further language in demand. The quality of the specialist technical expertise of graduates also falls short of what companies expect from an ideal job candidate.
