Startpage for Swedish National Agency for Higher Education

 
 

2004:33 R

IKT-education after the bubble - availability, additions, demand and requirements

Current labour market forecasts say that the availability of qualified personnel within information and communications engineering is at this moment good. However, in the little longer view, this positive situation will give way to an evenly balanced status. The drop in course admissions in recent years will probably result in fewer degrees being taken already during the next academic year. Although this information has not yet surfaced in today’s forecasts, it is expected that the anticipated augmentation and availability will be toned down in future forecasts. Were this trend to continue, balance in due course would negatively change to shortage.

While the number of admissions has declined, the number of degrees taken has increased. The percentage of degree courses in social sciences has increased to the detriment of degree courses in engineering and natural sciences within IKT (Information and Communications Technology.
In their search for personnel today, employers make many demands. Not only is a university degree required as well as several years of experience of working life, applicants must also have specific skills and competencies.

At present the demands and needs of employers are of subordinate importance to the aim and dimensioning of the IKT-courses. What the students demand is the factor that totally dominates course direction and dimension.

In view of today’s resource allocation system, the falloff in student applications has negative economic consequences for universities and university colleges, so much so that these seats of learning have had to come up with a number of survival strategies. In the past year international masters programmes has skyrocketed numerically and more are planned to start in the year 2005. These courses are given in English and attract a large number of applicants, mainly from South East Asia. IKT has increased its extern-financed research and it is this that partially pays for the graduate courses. Many students are attracted by courses in special computer games, design and IT-security.

Swedish National Agency for Higher Education  Visting address: Luntmakargatan 13  Box 7851, 103 99 Stockholm
Phone: 08-563 085 00  Fax: 08-563 085 50  Email: hsv@hsv.se