VietNamNet Bridge – The local information technology (IT) industry is expected to face a shortfall of laborers from 2015 due to the slowing supply for the industry at home, heard a seminar in HCMC’s Quang Trung software park on Wednesday.

At the seminar “Research and Development of IT and Communications Human Resources,” Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Tran Duc Lai said IT schools reported a fall in enrolment after a surge in the 2007-2008 period.

Recent statistics of the HCMC Computer Association show revenues of private IT training facilities like Aptech and NITT have annually contracted 20% on average in the last three years.

In the meantime, other public IT training facilities have only enrolled 85% of the target despite the fact that many such schools have lowered the entrance qualification standards for new students.

The declining IT personnel supply has driven several technology firms, especially software outsourcing firms such as FPT Sofware, Global Cybersoft or LogiGear, into difficulties when recruiting large numbers of employees.

Le Truong Tung, rector of FPT University, said this is an alarming phenomenon, adding the IT industry will have to face a shortage of engineers from 2015.

That is the outcome of the State’s policies failing to create the attractiveness for the IT industry in recent years, Tung said. Moreover, training centers with low quality have been unable to give occupation orientation to students while the connection between local enterprises and training centers has still remained weak, he stressed.

To fix the problem, Tung proposed the industry enhance quality of training facilities. He called for participation of private enterprises in IT training.

Tung also urged the State to set aside more budget for public schools and their science research activities and improving quality of students at private schools.

Rector Nguyen Ngoc Binh of the Technology University under the Hanoi National University noticed the industry has yet to identify the standards for IT training at home. This is the reason why IT training centers are growing strongly while their quality is too poor to meet employers’ requirements, he said.

Source: SGT