Sweden is expected to have a shortage of about 18,000 professionals annually between 2024-2028 — mostly in the tech sector in addition to other industries, a new report by TechSverige reveals. Artificial intelligence, software development, and cybersecurity are the main areas where demand outpaces supply. On top of that, tech-related soft skills (such as, digital ethics and even team work) are also increasingly required by employers as they continue to favour more ethical and agile tech development. In an effort to bridge this digital skills gap, Stockholm-based ed-tech company, SALT, and computing school, the Upskill Company, now provide training courses that make it easier for workers to develop in-demand tech skills and enter lucrative and enjoyable careers in the tech industry.
SALT creates skilled full-stack developers
To address Stockholm’s digital skills shortage, SALT (School of Applied Technology) is on a mission to “transform self-taught codersso they can transition into skilled Full-Stack Developers”. Located in the centre of Stockholm, SALT provides accelerated career programs that include both educational courses and paid work experience. Once candidates enrol in the program, they participate in a three-month “immersive bootcamp”, which involves over 500 hours of coding. After students complete the course, SALT even helps them land a job in tech. Graduates first work for SALT, and then move on to join another company for one year. So far, SALT has trained almost 500 full-stack developers, as well as helped over 100 employers find new talent for their development teams.
Digital upskilling: a lucrative move for employees and businesses alike
Employees who work in Sweden’s tech industry make an average salary of SEK 31,400 per month. Software engineer is the most lucrative role with an average annual salary of SEK 720,000, while data scientists aren’t far behind as they earn SEK 680,000 on average. The high salaries found in the tech industry should make the prospect of digital upskilling particularly attractive to employees.
Plus, Stockholm businesses can also save money by digitally upskilling employees. In fact, employers save anywhere from 70%-92% on costs if they upskill current employees rather than hire qualified new talent. Fortunately, as there’s no set way to go about this, businesses have the freedom to choose an upskill method that best suits their needs. Generally, employee digital upskill programs are employee-led or business-led, explains Karen Kirton, founder of Amplify HR. “An employee-led development program is where people have their own development plans in place. If your employees feel that they’re growing and developing their skills and that these skills suit their strengths and their career goals, they are going to be more satisfied and more likely to stay in their roles”, Kirton notes.
As for business-led programs, these are “where you actively develop the skills you’ll need in your business over the next 12-24 months. One way to do that is to have a look at your strategy for this period, in terms of your company goals and strategy”. This way, businesses are more likely to be successful in their efforts to fill their exact digital skills gaps.
The Upskill Company helps workers transition into tech
The Upskill Company, a Stockholm-based computing school, also aims to fix the digital skills shortage through 12-week paid training programs that end with a guaranteed job. Students can learn a host of subjects, such as web development, data science, and programming languages. The Upskill Company has also partnered with American software company ServiceNow to specifically upskill employees on the ServiceNow cloud computing platform and prepare them for a new career in tech (the program is aimed at people who currently work in other sectors). Together, the Upskill Company and ServiceNow aim to upskill one million people in 2024. Even better, the program is free and a salary is provided through its duration. Once students complete the course, graduates are then given consultant positions with the Upskill Company. Then, after one year, they’ll be offered jobs with ServiceNow.
Although Stockholm’s tech skills shortage is expected to increase in the near future, organisations who upskill employees promise to bridge this gap. Thanks to the impressive efforts of SALT and the Upskill Company, employees who upskill look likely to have a great career path ahead of them.
