IVAM Executive Panel, March 2011: Skills shortage not acute for microtechnology SMEs

The much-discussed shortage of skilled workers is not an acute problem for many small and medium-sized microtechnology enterprises. Companies whose innovation efforts are thwarted because they do not find adequately qualified staff are the exception rather than the rule. According to industry experts, small and medium-sized high-tech companies do have advantages on the highly competitive labour market: they are more attractive employers than the competing major companies because they offer interesting fields of work, a good working atmosphere and more opportunities for employee participation. Moreover, they prefer to hire graduates or unskilled workers and train them according to the individual demands of the company. The experts say that a genuine skills shortage is likely to occur in the future due to the demographic trend. In order to counteract the expected shortage, small and medium-sized high-tech companies should plan their staff requirements in advance and seek contact with future employees through universities. The IVAM Executive Panel is a group of selected experts and opinion leaders from industry and science.