Lack of talent puts a stake in attracting investments to Lithuania
There are a lot of people missing
2021-2030 Lithuania’s National Progress Plan envisages that in 2030 the value added generated by the life sciences sector should reach 5%. The country’s gross domestic product (GDP), information and communication technology (ICT) sector – 9.3 percent, and engineering industry – 7.7 percent. However, according to Vydūnas Trapinskas, the head of the Talent team of Invest in Lithuania, which is engaged in attracting foreign investment to Lithuania, the lack of labor force and the competencies of employees who do not have market needs are already limiting the growth of these sectors.
“There is a particular shortage of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) specialists in ICT and engineering. In the market of engineering industry, both vocational training and graduates with practical experience are highly welcome: quality process, production engineers, electronics specialists, electricians, mechatronics, operators, welders, ”comments V. Trapinskas.
According to him, there is a lack of ICT data not only programmers, but also business process analysts, analysts, product managers, digitization project managers and other professionals. There is a shortage of specialists in biomechanics, bioinformatics and molecular biotechnology in the life sciences sector.
According to the data of the association Infobalt, there is currently a shortage of about 15 thousand people in Lithuania. IT professionals. According to the head of the association Mindaugas Ubartas, it must be acknowledged that Lithuania lacks highly qualified specialists and people who earn high salaries.
“A couple of years ago, we initiated a survey on how many people could be employed already, we found out that then in the IT sector 13 thousand. professionals and this number is constant. Currently, 2.5 percent work in the IT sector in Lithuania. “the average for Europe is 3.7%,” says Ubart.
Students from abroad need to be retained in Lithuania
The lack of qualified specialists is often attributed to the insufficient number of people wishing to study and the non-functioning vocational guidance system.
“Although the state has singled out priority areas for what kind of specialists the labor market needs, students simply do not hear this need. Not enough young people have chosen perspectives to study STEM, and vocational training and higher education systems find it difficult to respond quickly to the needs of a changing business, so the number of specialists being trained far exceeds job expectations, ”says V. Trapinskas.
According to M. Ubart, the head of Infobalt, the lack of talent could be addressed in higher education as well.
“Lithuania’s statements could become a hill of technological talent not only in the Northern region and accept only local students, but also young people from the EU and third countries. Already, some students from abroad stay to work in Lithuania after their studies, so if we could invite even more of them, it would help to solve the problem of talent shortage, ”says M. Ubartas and notes that attracting and encouraging students from abroad to stay in Lithuania as well. better integration into society and the labor market, simpler and clearer procedures.
The relocation process interferes with the leg
The lack of highly qualified specialists reflects not only the development of the country’s existing business, but also the desire to attract foreign investment to Lithuania. Infrastructure that meets the needs of investors alone is not enough – workers are also needed. Experts name the recruitment of qualified specialists from abroad as one of the most effective ways to solve problems. Many developed, economically strong and advanced countries, both Western and Eastern, are following this path.
“Attracting talent from abroad would help to compensate for the currently lacking competencies and would allow the creation of a dynamic talent ecosystem that would contribute to the development of innovations. Vilnius ranks 24th in the ranking of the most attractive cities in the world for investment, and Singapore, London and Dubai, which attract a lot of talent and are paying high salaries, are in the first places. With more talent and a variety of competencies, we could open a new direction for business development, ”says V. Trapinskas, a representative of Invest in Lithuania.
According to him, although foreign companies established in Lithuania tend to relocate their correctors here so that they can often work with procedural inconveniences – the recruitment process is long and complicated, the institutions involved in it. In addition, the integration of a foreigner and his / her family members in Lithuania is on the road to challenges.
This is confirmed by the 2020 A survey of foreigners living in Vilnius was commissioned by the Vilnius City Tourism and Business Development Agency Go Vilnius. Almost half of the foreigners living in the capital indicated that they moved to Lithuania for study and work. Although almost 6 out of 10 foreigners stated that they were satisfied with work and life in Vilnius, the overall satisfaction score was 3.2 out of a possible 5, so it is assessed only on average. Among the challenges and problems foreigners mentioned is the difficult integration into society, there should be access to information in English, lack of tolerance.
Vilnius ranked 17th in the recent ranking of technological cities of the Future compiled by the Financial Times. According to Inga Romanovskienė, the head of Go Vilnius, having not reached the top 25 last year, this is very significant. According to her, Vilnius is becoming more attractive for investors in the start-up and technology sector, therefore it is necessary to ensure that there is no shortage of talent.
“We compete with other cities in the world for highly qualified specialists, so we have a great understanding of both our strengths and our lack. No matter how attractive the city is, there are still many questions when choosing a place to relocate: will the spouse be able to work, will the child get a place in kindergarten, or will the relational process be smooth. In order for the answers to be “yes”, it is necessary to take action both at the national and city level: to improve the quality of services, to simplify relocation procedures, “says Inga Romanovskienė, Director of the Vilnius City Tourism and Business Development Agency” Go Vilnius “.
The head of Infobalt recalls that attracting foreign specialists would help solve many of the country’s problems. “Lithuania should set a goal to become the number one talent from all over the world. By attracting highly qualified specialists, we could solve not only business, but also regional employment problems. All the more so that the more rich people with high salaries receive high salaries – the more taxes we collect in the state budget, the faster social issues are solved, ”says M. Ubartas, the head of Infobalt.
In order to make Vilnius an even more attractive place for foreigners to live and work, Go Vilnius has been organizing information seminars for foreigners from various countries for several years, as well as providing them with information on migration opportunities, health care, employment, education, accommodation, tax obligations, culture and other issues related to life and work in Lithuania and Vilnius. The agency also advises highly qualified specialists and businesses wishing to relocate to Vilnius. The Invest in Lithuania initiative “Work in Lithuania”, which brings together international companies and highly qualified employees in Lithuania, also helps career foreigners.
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