Future Competences for the European Software Sector: A Mixed-Method Approach

The shortage for ICT personal in the EU is large and expected to increase. The aim of this paper is to disseminates information from the ESSA alliances needs analysis. The needs analysis research was to contribute to a better understanding of the roles and competences needed, so that education curricula can be better aligned to evolving market demand,by answering the research question: Which competence gaps do we need to bridge in order to meet the future need for sufficiently qualified personnel in the EU Software sector? In this research, a mixed method approach was executed by ESSA-partners in twelve European countries, to map the current and future needs for competences in the EU. The analyses shows changes in demand regarding technical skills, e.g. low-code and a stronger focus on soft skills like communication and critical thinking. Besides this, the research showed educational institutes would do well to develop their curricula in a practical way by integration of real live cases and work together with organizations.