The importance of ITC studies for finding the best job possible is determined by the increasingly prominent role of technology in almost all aspects of our lives.
Although the latest statistics show that, at the European level, men with ITC degrees are overwhelmingly employed compared to women, Romania is among the top countries hiring women with degrees in this field.
This is a topic that companies should take into consideration as a self-assessment milestone, and it’s equally important for young individuals who are just starting or at intermediate stages of their careers. Whether it’s a technical role, such as programming, or a more strategic role, like IT management, ITC knowledge and skills are in demand in various industries and represent an asset for career prospects.
Growing Demand for Individuals with IT Education
According to statistics provided by Eurostat, in 2022, there were 3.0 million people employed with IT education in the European Union, which is 6.7% more than in 2021 (2.8 million).
This indicates that an increasing number of individuals understand the importance of keeping pace with technological advancements and are inclined towards acquiring knowledge in this direction and subsequently finding employment in this sector, as evidenced by the overall growth rate of IT employees. Thus, the percentage of IT employees in the EU increased by 11.5% in 2022. The number of active male professionals in this field is 2.5 million, which is 7.1% higher than in 2021, while the number of women employed in this sector has grown by 4.4%, reaching 463,100 individuals.
Regarding EU member states, Slovenia (93.0%), Latvia (91.0%), Poland (90.3%), the Czech Republic (89.9%), Belgium (88.7%), and Slovakia (88.5%) had the highest proportions of male employees with IT education.
At the top of the list of countries with the highest number of women employed with IT education are Bulgaria (31.5%) and Denmark (31.3%), with nearly equal proportions, followed closely by Cyprus (30.2%) and, with a slight difference, Romania (29.9%).
The Snowball Effect
The percentage gap generates reluctance among women when it comes to taking on such roles. According to the “Women in Tech” report, conducted in 2021 by the global cybersecurity company Kaspersky, over a third of women working in the IT and technology industry worldwide believe that the absence of women in their sector has made them cautious about entering the profession.
Fortunately, statistics seem to be improving year by year, and gender perceptions are also changing for the better. Kaspersky also conducted a new report, which revealed that 56% of women working in IT globally agree that there are now more women in
IT and technology roles in their organization than two years ago. Additionally, 7 out of 10 female respondents who participated in the study believe that their skills and experience are more important to employers than their gender.
In the end, we shift our attention to our own organization and are pleased to observe that professionalism disregards gender: in 2023, 46,5% of the Connections team is comprised of women, while in the management teams, the percentage rises to 55,6%.
