1. Researching the demand of ICT profiles and digital skills among
Bulgarian Companies ​
Prof. Krassen Stefanov,
Albena Antonova  ​
Logo Syntra West toevoegen
Logo SBM?

2. Presentation overview
The scope of the research
Companies profiles and characteristics
ICT profiles in demand
Strategies to attract ICT experts
Role of ICT training providers
Main outcomes and lessons’ learned

3. Motivation
The lack of ICT experts has a negative effect for further digital transformation of the Bulgarian economy both for:
ICT companies
All other companies;

4. Scope of the research: “Social innovations for digital skills to the changing labour market”
The project SIDiSk aims to propose an innovative approach for human resource development and better adaptation of the target group (employed, including self-employed and employers) to the processes of digital transformation.
The proposed model for social innovations development and transfer aims at solving both the problem of the lack of qualified workforce in the ICT sector, through an innovative training, qualification and inclusion of the target group and supporting its adaptation to the changing labour market.

5. General data of the respondents
Dates: 1/1/2019-1/2/2019
Online questionnaire, available on:
Number of completed questionnaires: 112
Profile of the companies:
SME 77%; bigger companies - 23%
Private companies: 91%
Public – 7%, NGO -1%
In Bulgaria, respondents were
27,7% HR Manager
31% Manager
16% IT Manager
11% ICT expert
14% others
Explain but not part of the presentation?
Left out: type of organisation, because in Belgium 100% private companies  different in other countries?
Left out: number of IT specialists
27,7% HR Manager
31% Manager
16% IT Manager
11% ICT expert
14% others

6. Company Core business

7. Number of IT experts in companies

8. Profiles of IT Experts in DEMAND
Developer (77%)
DevOps Engineer (42,9%)
Business analyst (31%)
UX Designer (30%)
Data analyst (28,6%)
Network/System Engineer (26%)
Consultant (25,9%)
Cyber security (23%)
QA & QA Engineers 1%
Software architects 1%
SEO + marketing 1%
Social Media content 10%
Specific skills lacking in your organisation: wide variety  give additional explanation, but not part of the presentation?
QA are not among the priorities for BG companies;

9. Specific profiles Java, C++, C#, JavaScript, AngularJS, .NET,
PHP, Xamarine, Python, IoT, Perl
Rare languages: Scala, Sitecore, Sitefinity
Mean Stack technologies (NodeJS)
System design & solution design
Oracle Dev, SQL, Oracle ERP Admin, Linux, Unix
Microsoft technologies - .Net, Microsoft SQL Server, MVC, ASP.NET Web API, Web Forms.
Open Source technologies - PhP, NodeJS, MySQL.
Front-End & HYBRID MOBILE technologies - AngularJS, JavaScript etc.
Business Intelligence, embedded systems algorithms
Automation QA specialists

10. The insights
Bulgaria
68%: IT Department knows very well what are the gaps and needed ICT skills
36% use job rotation schemes
35% hire people who have done internships in their company
Use free-lancers – 13%
Outsource ICT projects – 9%
Please select the statements which match the insight of IT-needs in your organisation; (multiple options possible)

11. Recruitment of IT Experts
How is it done at present + efficiency rate?
The 5 most important ones:
External site for job offers – 77% (efficiency 47%)
Social media - 70% (efficiency 34%)
Job offers on own website - 67% (efficiency 17%)
Internships – 54% (efficiency 35%)
Job fairs – 51% (efficiency 28%)
Cooperation with schools - 39% (efficiency 24%)

12. Finding the IT Experts

13. Work-based learning How many companies do offer WBL? 47% no 53% yes
Attitude towards WBL?
A lot of models for WBL: usually learning on the job, practice- and project-oriented.

14. Collaboration with training providers
YES
50% Collaborate with training providers;
28% - organize work-based learning for youngsters and/or unemployed in cooperation with training providers NO
24% organize work-based learning for youngsters and/or unemployed but without any cooperation with schools and training providers.
24% - know the schools and training providers, but don’t have good idea what IT trainings they organize.

15. IT Experience
Companies that have hired someone without prior IT experience, whether they would do it again/considering it.
69% - Yes, and will do this again
20% - No, and we will not do this

16. IT skills vs attitude Both are important – 68% Attitude – 30%
Technical knowledge – 2%

17. Criteria to select candidates
Studious and hard-working – 87%
Appropriate soft skills – 86%
Fluent English Language – 80%
Fluent Bulgarian – 34%
Qualification – 32%
Diploma (bachelor/master) – 30%
Elaborate on whether these criteria are relevant for all functions or job-specific

18. Role of Education/training centers
Once hired, we still have to teach graduates too many skills before they can really work professionally– 67%
We prefer experience above diploma – 61%
We feel educators could do better than what they do now – 43%
Educators have little insight in what the labor market needs – 38%
3% - Educators are doing a great job as graduates have the skills we need

19. Role of Education/training centers

20. Internal trainings
How would you evaluate the training and learning program(s) for staff you have within the company?
We give proposals of trainings and personal development to our employees – 55%
Employees have to make their own proposals on training and learning – 45%
We insource as much as possible for training and learning – 44%
We have a yearly budget for training and learning programs for every staff member – 34%
Outsource training – 17%
No training offered – 10%

21. Internal trainings

22. Retention of IT Professionals
38% Every year we have at least 1 IT employee who leaves our company to work for a bigger company
30% of the IT professionals are contacted by competitors! (in BG)
47% organize yearly interviews with the IT staff to get feedback on how they feel and perform
42% could improve career guidance and personal development in the organization

23. Retention of IT Professionals

24. Future cooperation How many companies want to collaborate
in the framework of this project?
Yes: what options are especially popular?
48% - Testify in schools about IT-jobs
45% - To be part of a national Employable IT-experts network
43% - To train someone in the company on ICT skills through work-based learning
40% To cooperate in a communication campaign to attract girls to IT

25. Conclusions ICT companies are open to cooperate with universities.
There is a gap between ICT education and work: internships, on-the-job trainings;
Possible cooperation programs between companies and individual trainers;

26. Thank you for your attention!