For years there has been a shortage in the labour market when it comes to high-quality technical staff. This is no longer only the case in Western Europe but also in Eastern Europe. On top of this another shift is visible. It is not only technical staff with high qualifications but also technical staff with lower qualifications that is becoming scarce in the labour markets across Western and Eastern Europe.
Companies are increasingly moving their production plants to Eastern Europe, because wages are lower there than in the west. From a business economic perspective this is quite a logical move. Many people there, both male and female, are working in technical professions. One factor explaining this is that technology is a staple in the curriculum for both boys and girls from an early age onwards. This contrasts starkly with curricula in Western Europe, where technology is introduced much later. Still, here too the phenomenon of scarcity is visible, as companies find it more and more difficult to find qualified technical staff. Temp agencies such as Randstad already have branches in various East European cities, using these as a basis from where they recruit technical staff Europe-wide for East European companies.
The greatest scarcity is found in the fields of process engineers and the production industry, in electrical engineering, in the automotive sector and in the management of technical companies. Apart from this, the influence of Industry 4.0 has led to a shortage of ICT professionals, especially those developing ICT applications. Companies are discovering the hidden values of those professionals who are over 55. These are more and more often invited to take up functions within an organisation.
Research has shown that one of the causes for staff turnover is the lack of development and education. Well-educated personnel is more satisfied and enjoys work much more than those who do not have the benefit of doing courses. This in turn has a positive impact on customer satisfaction, thereby reinforcing the competitive advantage that a company has.
PIEK is well aware of this and therefore partners up with all the leading companies in the technical interconnect industry. PIEK is the only educational centre in Europe that has been certified to provide all IPC training courses. If you want to make sure that your staff is always up-to-date, PIEK is therefore your go-to partner.
