Competence needs in the context of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Summary Report of the Study on Anti-Covid Actions in Sectors: It & Telecommunications and Cybersecurity
EDITTION II

The study was carried out as part of the activity of the Sectoral Council for Competences – Computing and Sectoral Council The competences of Telecommunications and Cybersecurity.

Publication carried out as part of the project entitled “Establishment and functioning of the Sectoral Council for Competences in Telecommunications and Cybersecurity’ and the project entitled “Establishment and functioning of the Board It Sector Competences’.

Projects co-financed by the European Social Fund under the Knowledge, Education and Development Operational Programme.

Conception and substantive coordination: Dariusz Chełstowski, Andrzej Gontarz

Contractor: Danae Sp. z o.o.

ISBN 978-83-962423-8-9

Warsaw 2022

CONTENTS

AND PART

Competence needs in the context of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic

SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

Company characteristics

In the second edition of the survey, companies in the telecommunications and cybersecurity sector (TCB) with wired communication activities (26 %) and IT (IT) companies active in software, IT consultancy and other information and computer services (25 %) were the most represented.

It companies operate in the labour market for longer than those in the TCB sector (over 15 years – IT: 38 %, TCB: 22 %)

According to the methodological assumptions, small, medium-sized and large firms were overrepresented in the population in the sample. Thus, micro-companies, employing between 1 and 9 people, represented 28 % of all companies surveyed.

Almost all firms surveyed are independent and independent (94 %), a negligible percentage operates as one of the branches of a larger company (4 %) or is the head office of a multi-branch company (2 %).

Employers are unlikely to plan changes in staff employment over the next 12 months (74 % for replies: “employment will remain at the same level”).

Currently, the most relevant area for the companies being surveyed is to maintain business continuity (81 %: sum of the answers “high importance” and “key importance”).

Changes in competences due to the pandemic situation

36 % of companies are currently affected by the pandemic. A quarter of respondents consider that the pandemic situation is currently affecting the need to change the skills of workers, although half of them consider the scope of such changes to be moderate. The vast majority of respondents (77 %) believe that the pandemic and its consequences will not change anything in terms of competence needs in their companies in the next 12 months.

Skills and competences needed to deal with pandemic and post-pandemic situations

Competences related to: software development, development and management and system integration (average: OP 4.1^[1]), management of own resources, as well as maintenance and development of ICT infrastructure (average: 4.08). In turn, over the next 12 months, the most important competences will be: maintaining and developing ICT infrastructure and ensuring the security of electronic communication channels and data resource management (average: 4.07).

Almost all representatives of the companies surveyed (97 %) reported that their companies are acquiring the necessary skills by maintaining, training and retraining their own employees. For more than half of the corresponding (61 %) skills, experienced labour market specialists are also a way to acquire the necessary skills, particularly in TCB companies (74 %).

The competences which are currently most easily available because there are workers with them on the market are: system integration (75 %), design, implementation, administration and safeguarding of cloud solutions and data migration to the cloud, as well as software development and management, risk analysis in a volatile working environment and information management (both 73 %).

Expectations of the education system

More than half of the respondents (55 %) consider that there is no need for significant changes in the education system due to the pandemic situation and its projected effects. For 31 % of respondents, these changes are necessary and should be implemented as soon as possible, and 14 % think it is difficult to answer the question of changes in the education system and it is worth waiting to stabilise the situation and to detect a steady trend.

Although only 31 % of respondents considered that changes to the education system should be implemented as soon as possible, 73 % of respondents believe that resources for retraining workers should be made available now (the sum of the answers ‘strongly yes’ and ‘fairly yes’).

More than half of the respondents consider that there is no need for significant changes to the education system due to the pandemic situation and its projected effects.

Investment and development

A majority of respondents (69 %) replied that the pandemic period did not induce their company to invest due to the specificities of this period. The companies that decided to invest due to the pandemic mainly pointed to areas related to the implementation of remote working (82 %) and business continuity (62 %). Investment changes in firms have changed the employment structure of one in four firms (26 %) which introduced them. One in three (34 %) thinks that the pandemic period, due to the increased demand for ICT solutions, has contributed to the development of the industry.

INTRODUCTION

The COVID-19 pandemic, which the world has been facing since 11 March 2020^[2], continues to have a huge impact on society’s lives, health and behaviour. It has forced the government to make many legislative changes, often sudden and restrictive, which have had and continue to have a major impact on the economy. The economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis varies across sectors and companies and depends on a number of factors, i.e. adaptability to supply chain disruptions and whether the components are
stored or whether the sector operates on the basis of ‘exact time’ production^[3]. The pandemic and the related
quarantine have forced companies to seek solutions to operate and cooperate (both
at intra-company level and in contact with customers, subcontractors and suppliers) remotely.
This has been a huge challenge both for companies trying to keep on the market in uncertain times of pandemics
and for the IT (IT) and Telecommunications and Cybersecurity (TCB) sectors seeking
to meet unprecedented demand for services. The scale and pace of change has forced the IT and TCB sectors to
develop new, effective solutions to enable companies to operate safely
during the pandemic. Many of the solutions available, such as the widespread online meetings, have
been in line with business standards and will be widely used even after the end of the pandemic.

The aim of this study is to identify important areas of responsibility for industry companies today, to identify skills
changes caused by the pandemic and to identify skills needs revealed by the
pandemic and its projected effects. The objectives of the study shall also be to: verification of the competences companies
need to operate in real terms created by COVID-19, as well as
an assessment of the cooperation between industry companies and schools/universities. In addition, the implementation of the study has allowed to deepen the theme of business investment resulting from the pandemic.

The results of the study will serve as a basis for building scenarios for future training, education and advisory activities in order to provide the skills and competences needed to ensure the smooth functioning of business in the face of existing disruptions and the projected impact of the pandemic. The result of the study will be to determine whether and what competences have proven to be necessary and which are lacking or will be lacking in the near term, in the context of the expected consequences of the pandemic on the IT and TCB sectors.

TEST METHODOLOGY

Test Editions

The study is divided into two editions. The research tools for each edition were slightly different, but leaving some questions unchanged made it possible to compare the results obtained in each edition. The deadlines for implementation of each part of the study are given below:

• And Edition: June 2021
• Second edition: February/March 2022

Respondents

The material scope of the survey required the respondent to have a broad knowledge of the company, both in the context of the company’s situation, strategy and skills desired and possessed by the employees. As a result, people in charge of work organisation, job planning and recruitment processes in companies participated in the survey. The participants in the survey were those who were best placed to meet the skills needs of the enterprises.

Among the people with the greatest knowledge of the company’s personnel policy, including in particular recruitment activities, assessment of employee competences and skills gaps, were:

• owners, co-owners,
• Governors, Vice-Presidents,
• managing directors,
• HR and HR Directors, HR specialists,
• the heads/managers of units responsible for the implementation of the main business processes in companies.

They have detailed knowledge of the need for skills in the industry. This is due
to their experience, length of service, career path within the company
and good knowledge of the company’s organisational culture. They are also able to assess the match between supply and
demand for skills. Each interview was preceded by a block of questions (screener) to
verify whether the company meets the criteria to participate in the survey and whether the respondent has
the necessary knowledge to respond to the questionnaire.

Source: In-house study

Test sample

The survey covered representatives of micro, small, medium and large companies in the IT and TCB sectors, in line with the principle of sector-specific representativeness. The criterion of ensuring the representativeness of survey participants from individual enterprise groups (small, medium, large) was the number of employees:

• small enterprises employing between 1 and 49 people (the tables break down into two groups: 1-9 and 10-49),
• medium-sized enterprises with 50 to 249 employees,
• large enterprises employing 250 people and more.

In each round of surveys, interviews were to be carried out in at least 250 companies, including at least 125 from the IT sector and at least 125 from the TCB sector.

The survey uses a quota selection allowing for interviews with people in each sector, as well as in companies of all sizes. Over-representation of companies with more than 9 employees was used.

In the end, 251 interviews were carried out: 126 in IT companies and 125 in TCB companies. Table 1 shows the breakdown by company size measured by the number of employees employed.

Test technique

The main testing technique used in the study was CAWI. Computer Assisted Web Interview), a computer-assisted web interview. In case of difficulties in closing/completing the CAWI survey, interviews were carried out with the support of interviewers with the agreement of the Contracting Authority.

Description of the organisation of the study

The survey’s procedure to reach respondents was based on data from the company frame. In order to maximise the effectiveness of reaching out to respondents, a several-step contact procedure is foreseen.

As a first step, an invitation to participate in the survey was sent by e-mail to the addresses of the companies. The invitation contained information on the objectives of the study and a request for authorisation to participate. A letter of recommendation signed by a representative of the Polish Informatics Society has also been prepared, which has raised the credibility of the study and thus increased the chance of a smooth implementation of the study. A letter of recommendation was sent to potential respondents together with the invitations to participate in the survey.

The invitation to participate in the study included:

• to whom the message is addressed (the respondent’s characteristics),
• purpose of the study,
• the name of the Contractor and the Contracting Authority,
• emphasising the authority of the Contracting Authority,
• emphasising the objective of the study as socially useful,
• information on anonymity and voluntary participation,
• the deadline for implementation.

Links to the CAWI survey were sent with the invitation to take part in the survey. Each of the links was allocated individually, allowing the respondent to interrupt the survey during the survey and return to it at an convenient moment. The individual links made it possible to verify in which specific companies did not fill in the survey and on this basis further steps could be taken to ensure a smooth implementation, e.g. 3 e-mail reminders were sent to these companies and were recruited by telephone. The purpose of the telephone recruitment by experienced recreuters was to:

• verification that the respondent received the message with the invitation;
• possible update of the data and re-submission of the invitation to the study,
• request to participate in the study with a valid argumentation.

Test control

The process of carrying out online surveys was carried out in accordance with the testing standards of the CAWI PKJPA. A non-field inspection was carried out, covering 100 % of the material. Its objective was to capture through statistical methods the logical inconsistency and misstatement of the respondent’s answers, which might have suggested incorrect completion of the survey. The non-terrene check shall consist of a check of:

• correctness of the times and between times – verification of the duration of interviews (in justified cases also individual question blocks or even individual questions) and between times,
• consistency of the response profile,
• quality of answers – frequency of ambivalent answers or so-called “special values” such as “difficult to say” or refusal of answers;
• consistency with external data -comparison of information gathered during the interview with information known to surveyors from other sources;
• logical consistency – the data collected is checked on the consequences in the application of filters and on the logical consistency of the answers to the questionnaire;
• the correct recording of (semi-)open questions – the role of the investigator is to check whether the answers appearing in the ‘other’ option do not appear in the cafeteria proposed in the question. This avoids inaccuracies and increases the reliability of the data.

COMPANY CHARACTERISTICS

Also in the second edition of the survey, the top representation of companies was TCB, which is active in wired communications (26 %). Taking into account the IT sector, the most interviews were carried out in software companies, IT consultancy and other IT and computer service activities (25 %). Detailed information on the interviews carried out is presented in Table 2.

30 % of the companies surveyed operate on the market over 15 years and 41 % of companies are active for 10 to 15 years. The results show that firms operating in the market under 10 years account for 29 % of all investigated companies.

Source: in-house study

Figure 1 provides a breakdown of the responses by sector surveyed.

Three quarters of the firms surveyed employ between 1 and 49 employees (75 %). Companies with 50 or more employees (25 %) have the smallest share. See Figure 2 for details.

FIGURE 1. How long does your company operate on the market?

Source: in-house study

FIGURE 2. How many employees are employed in your company, regardless of the type of contract or form of employment?

Source: in-house study

Almost all firms are independent and independent (94 %), a negligible percentage operates as one of the branches of a larger company (4 %) or as the head office of a multi-branch company (2 %).

During the pandemic period (March 2020 to date), in the vast majority of firms the total number of employees remained stable (83 %), especially in micro-companies, with up to 9 employees (93 %). Comparing the data from the two editions of the survey shows that little has changed in terms of the number of employees employed. In both the I and II editions of the survey, the vast majority of businesses replied that the number of employees remained stable (first edition: 85 %, 2nd edition: 83 %). For the IT sector, there was a slightly higher percentage (2 pp. increase) in the second edition of responses indicating an increase in the number of employees, while in the TCB sector there was an increase in the proportion of replies ‘decreased’ (by 5 pp.). See Figure 3 for details.

FIGURE 3. During the pandemic period (March 2020 to date), has the total number of employees employed in your company decreased, increased or remained at the same level?

Source: in-house study

In both editions of the survey, the largest proportion of respondents considered that the total number of employees employed by the company would remain the same over the next 12 months (first edition: 68 %, 2nd edition: 74 %). However, it is worth noting that in the second round of the survey, the proportion of responses indicating an expected increase in the number of employees (first edition: 9 %, 2nd edition: 14 %) As a result, the proportion of people who made it difficult to refer to the establishment plans decreased. A clear increase (by 10 pp.) in the ‘increasing’ response was observed for the IT sector. Data on establishment plans in the next 12 months are shown in Graph No 4.

FIGURE 4. In your opinion, will the total number of employees employed by your company decrease, increase or stay at the same level over the next 12 months?

Source: in-house study

According to the responses of the business community, all these areas of tasks are now important for the functioning of their companies. Maintaining business continuity is now the most important area of tasks (81 %: sum of the answers “high importance” and “key importance”). Few fewer people also pointed to ensuring the security of data, applications and networks (connections) in relation to the introduction of remote working, remote customer service and the provision of services at a distance (79 %), as well as providing adequate technical resources for emerging tasks (79 %) and adapting their actions to regulation (79 %). The relatively smallest area of work is the organisation of teleworking in the company, but it is worth adding that as many as 70 % of respondents replied that it is important or crucial for them. Detailed data on the validity of all activity areas are now shown in Figure 5.

FIGURE 5. How important are the different areas of tasks for the company’s operations today (scoring from 1 to 5, where 1 means: not relevant, 2 – low importance, 3 – medium importance, 4 – high importance, 5 key) – aggregated data for the IT and TCB sectors

Source: in-house study

It is worth adding that the first edition of the study also features in the sub-survey of the main areas of work: maintain business continuity (69 %), ensure data, application and network security (65 %) and remotely (61 %). When comparing the two rounds of studies, it is worth noting the growing importance in the second round of all the tasks mentioned.

Taking into account the latest results of the survey by sector surveyed, it should be noted that currently the biggest difference in the average assessment of the different areas of tasks concerns remote customer service, cooperation with customers in project implementation, delivery of products, provision of services and fulfilment of contracts. For IT companies, this area was estimated at 4.21 and in the TCB sector at 3.78. The other average assessments are presented in Table 4.

* The arrows up show a higher percentage of the sum of the answers “strongly yes” and “fairly yes” compared to the first edition of the survey.
Source: in-house study

Source: in-house study

CHANGES IN COMPETENCES DUE TO THE PANDEMIC SITUATION

According to 36 % of entrepreneurs, the pandemic is currently having an impact on the functioning of their business. One in four respondents (25 %) also replied that the pandemic is now affecting the need to change staff competences, although half of the corresponding changes are moderate. The pandemic situation affects to a very large extent, to a large extent, the need to change the skills of employees in 38 % of the companies surveyed, who confirmed that such changes are necessary. In turn, 13 % of such companies are affected by a rather small or very small scope of change. Given the sector-by-sector breakdown, it should be added that in TCB companies it was more likely than in IT companies that the pandemic required rather small changes in competence. These data are shown in Figure 6.

As in the first edition of the study, the vast majority of the corresponding (77 %) also believe that the pandemic and its consequences will not change anything in terms of competence needs in their companies in the next 12 months. This is much more the case for IT companies than in the TCB sector (87 % vs. 67 %). The results of the survey show that 5 % of respondents from both sectors believe that there will be a need for new competences over the next 12 months, including:

• responding to cyber-attacks, cyber threats,
• information and operational skills,
• managing new technologies,
• ability to work in stress,
• telecommunications skills,
• communication competences,
• creativity, flexibility.

Only 1 % of respondents replied that some competences would no longer have the meaning they had before the pandemic in the next 12 months. For the breakdown of the sectors examined, see Figure 7.

FIGURE 6. To what extent does the pandemic situation affect the need to change the skills of workers?

Source: in-house study

FIGURE 7. How do you think the pandemic and its consequences will affect your company’s competence needs in the next 12 months? aggregated data for the IT and TCB sectors

Source: in-house study

SKILLS AND COMPETENCES NEEDED TO DEAL WITH PANDEMIC AND POST-PANDEMIC SITUATIONS

Irrespective of the title of the post, the performance of specific professional roles and tasks requires a certain level of specialised competence. The survey presented to respondents a list of selected key competences in the context of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on both sectors. They were asked to comment on these competences and to identify the importance of these competences in their company at the moment and how important they would be in the next 12 months.

All of these competences have now proven to be important or crucial for more than half of those surveyed. Competences related to software development, development and management and system integration are of utmost importance today (medium: 4.1^[5]), own resources management, as well as the maintenance and development of ICT infrastructure (average: 4.08). Currently, the least important is the automation and robotisation of processes and the organisation of remote and hybrid work in the company (average: 3.83). For details, see Table 8.

In the coming 12 months, the key competences will be: maintaining and developing ICT infrastructure and ensuring the security of electronic communication channels and data resource management (average: 4.07). The following were also very important: software development, development and management, system integration and information management (medium: 4.06). The competence for automation and robotisation of processes will be the least important in the next 12 months (average: 3,81). These data are presented in Table 8.

Source: in-house study

Source: in-house study

Source: in-house study

Source: own
* upward arrows indicate a higher average assessment of individual key competences compared to the first edition of the survey.

FIGURE 8. Please indicate how your company currently acquires the necessary competences?

Source: in-house study

Taking into account the assessment of the importance of competences in both timeframes, it is worth adding that the competences that will lose most importance are: applying regulations related to remote and hybrid work and implementing, configuring, administering and securing e-learning platforms. These figures are shown in Table 7.

In Table 8, the arrows indicate an increase/decrease in the average assessment of the importance of key competences compared to the first edition of the survey. All these key competences in both timeframes are/will be more relevant than in the first edition of the survey.

In both series I and II, respondents reported that their companies acquired the necessary competences by maintaining, training or retraining their own employees (both 97 %). More than half of those surveyed in both editions of the survey claimed that they were also using experienced professionals from the market (First edition: 52 %, 2nd edition: 61 %) and slightly fewer people mentioned hiring young professionals, graduates and preparing them for business tasks (First edition: 45 %, 2nd edition: 51 %) The least suitable ones acknowledged that they acquired the necessary competences through cooperation with schools or universities (first edition: 27 %, 2nd edition: 34 %).

There were significant differences in responses across sectors: companies in the TCB sector are much more likely than IT companies to acquire the necessary skills by employing experienced market professionals (74 % vs. 47 %) and by working with schools/universities (42 % vs. 25 %). Detailed data are shown in Graph No 8.

ASSESSMENT OF THE AVAILABILITY OF PROFESSIONALS ON THE LABOUR MARKET

The results of the survey show that there are professionals in the labour market with the skills listed – for each competency, more than half of the respondents answered ‘fairly yes’ or ‘strongly yes’. The competences most easily available (employees holding it on the market) are now: system integration (75 %), design, implementation, administration and safeguarding of cloud solutions and data migration to the cloud, as well as software development and management, risk analysis in a volatile working environment and information management (both 73 %). The lowest-ranked competence in terms of accessibility is related to the organisation of remote and hybrid work in the company: 64 % of respondents consider this to be a competence of workers in the labour market. Data for all these competences are shown in Figure 9.

The lowest-ranked competence in terms of accessibility is related to the organisation of remote and hybrid work in the company.

Although respondents consider that currently there are specialists with these competences in the labour market, it is worth noting that in the second edition of the survey, the percentages confirming this opinion are slightly lower than in the first edition. The biggest difference in data relates to ensuring the security of electronic communication channels, including proper verification of the communication pages. In the first edition of the survey, as many as 81 % of respondents said that there were qualified professionals on the labour market, while in the second round of the survey this percentage fell to 65 %. A detailed comparison of the results for the two series of tests is presented in Table 9.

FIGURE 9. Do you think there are currently professionals on the labour market with the above mentioned competences? summary data for the IT and TCB sectors system integration

Source: in-house study

Source: own
* downward arrows indicate a lower proportion of the sum of answers “strongly yes” and “fairly yes” compared to the first edition of the survey.

EXPECTATIONS OF THE EDUCATION SYSTEM

More than half of the respondents (55 %) consider that there is no need for significant changes in the education system due to the pandemic situation and its projected effects. For 31 % of respondents, these changes are necessary and should be implemented as soon as possible, and 14 % think it is difficult to answer the question of changes in the education system and it is worth waiting to stabilise the situation and to detect a steady trend. A similar trend was noted in the first edition of the survey, at which time one in three thought that changes to the education system should be implemented as soon as possible.

Interesting conclusions show an analysis of the results by sector. Representatives of IT companies are much more likely to think that changes are necessary and should be implemented as soon as possible (47 %). On the other hand, TCB companies are much more likely to say that there is no need for significant changes in the education system (68 %). Detailed data are shown in Figure 10.

FIGURE 10. Please state whether you consider that changes to the education system should now be introduced in view of the pandemic situation and its projected effects?

Source: in-house study

Although only 31 % of respondents considered that changes to the education system should be implemented as soon as possible, 73 % of respondents believe that resources for retraining workers should be made available now (the sum of the answers ‘strongly yes’ and ‘fairly yes’). Few fewer people pointed to the need to increase the number of (remote) training and courses for workers in the sector (70 % for the sum of the answers “strongly yes” and “rather so”) and to update and adapt secondary education programmes (70 % for the sum of the answers “strongly yes” and “fairly yes”). It is worth adding that, also in the first edition of the survey, more than half of the corresponding studies considered that each of the measures in question should be implemented in the education system. Graph 11 provides data for all responses concerning the implementation of changes in the education system.

FIGURE 11. Should the following actions now be introduced in the education system? aggregated data for the IT and TCB sectors

Source: in-house study

FIGURE 12. Please tell us how do you rate the current cooperation of your company with the schools of\university?

Source: in-house study

Making changes to the education system is a matter of differentiation between business representatives from both sectors. Businesses in the IT sector are much more likely than TCB representatives to make funds available for retraining workers (40 % vs. 22 %), updating and adapting education programmes in studies (44 % vs. 20 %) and secondary schools (43 % vs. 22 %). A detailed overview of the results can be found in Table 10 below.

More than half (59 %) say that their company currently works with schools and/or universities. Representatives of companies working with these entities are mostly well or very good in terms of working together (62 %). It is worth noting that 28 % of the corresponding ones do not assess this cooperation either well or badly. This assessment was much more often done by IT companies than by companies in the TCB sector (40 % vs. 11 %). Detailed data can be found in Graph 12.

Source: in-house study

Currently, the most frequently mentioned form of cooperation between companies and schools/universities is the provision by companies of practical courses (apprenticeships) and traineeships for pupils and students (49 %). This is more often done in IT companies than in the TCB sector (56 % vs. 39 %). 38 % of respondents confirm the participation of their company representatives in school/university meetings to show the specific nature of work in the industry, slightly fewer people indicated that students were involved in writing professional masters for their company’s needs (36 %). For 22 % of respondents, company-university data exchange is a form of cooperation, 21 % mention joint running of projects, and one in five (20 %) mentioned the creation of consortia as a form of cooperation between school/university and company. The smallest people indicated that schools/universities offered access to their resources (e.g. libraries, equipment) (9 %). These data are shown in Figure 13.

FIGURE 13. What are the forms of cooperation between your company and schools?

Source: in-house study

More than half think they want their cooperation with universities/schools to be deepened. This is much more common for IT companies than for TCB (64 % vs. 47 %). One in four respondents (26 %) did not know whether they want to deepen their cooperation. Figures showing the willingness to deepen cooperation are shown in Figure 14.

FIGURE 14. Would you like your cooperation with the schools of\universities to be deepened?

Source: in-house study

Surveyors consider that the greatest benefit of their company’s cooperation with schools/universities is the increase in the competitiveness of their company (49 %). Slightly fewer people also pointed to the expansion of the company’s areas of competence (40 %), the development of skills of workers entering the labour market (36 %), the increase in the company’s prestige (34 %). Respondents also consider that the benefit of such cooperation is access to the latest knowledge (28 %), the reduction of skills gaps among employees in the company and the adaptation of education programmes to the market situation (24 % each). The results show that for IT companies much more often than for those in the TCB sector, the benefit is the reduction of skills gaps in employees (30 % vs. 16 %) and the development of skills of workers entering the labour market (45 % vs. 23 %). Detailed results are shown in Figure 15.

FIGURE 15. Could you indicate the benefits of your company’s cooperation with the schools of\university?

Source: in-house study

Almost half of the representatives of companies that do not currently cooperate with universities replied that there was no need for such cooperation in their companies (48 %). It was also pointed out that their company was too small for such cooperation (7 %) and the problem of excessive bureaucracy (3 %).

All respondents were asked what they considered as barriers to cooperation between companies in the industry and schools/universities. For 38 % of respondents, excessive formalisation and procedures in schools/universities are a barrier to cooperation, while 26 % speak of the lack of flexibility in adapting the world of science to the demands of the labour market in the industry and the lack of time to engage in additional activity by either side. The reluctance of scientists to cooperate with industry is a barrier identified by 18 % of respondents. Slightly fewer people considered that lack of or insufficient information on cooperation opportunities (13 %) and unattractive conditions for cooperation (11 %) are a barrier to such cooperation. Respondents from the IT sector are much more likely than those in the TCB sector to point to excessive formalisation and procedures in schools/universities (44 % vs. 31 %), lack of flexibility and adaptation of science to market requirements (34 % vs. 18 %) and lack of time to engage in additional activities (34 % vs. 18 %). For details, see Figure 16.

FIGURE 16. In your opinion, what are the barriers for companies in your industry to cooperate with the schools of\university?

Source: in-house study

INVESTMENT AND DEVELOPMENT

Most respondents replied that the pandemic period did not prompt their company to invest due to the specificities of the period, i.e. changing the business model and increasing demand for ICT solutions (69 %). However, it is worth adding that the results vary from one sector to another: IT firms are much more likely than TCB companies to make such investments (41 % vs. 16 %). Detailed data are shown in Figure 17.

The companies that decided to invest due to the pandemic mainly pointed to areas related to the implementation of remote working (82 %) and business continuity (60 %). Half of the responses replied that the area that was the subject of the investment was to increase the level of cybersecurity. Fewer people also spoke of process automation and robotisation (29 %), development of network and access infrastructure (26 %) and only 1 % of respondents mentioned 5G technologies and the use of artificial intelligence. Detailed results by sector are shown in Figure 18.

Half of the respondents replied that the area that was the subject of the investment was to increase the level of cybersecurity.

FIGURE 17. Has your company been prompted by the pandemic period to invest due to the specificities of this period, i.e. changing its business model and increasing demand for ICT solutions?

Source: in-house study

FIGURE 18. Please indicate which of the areas were invested in your company during the pandemic.

Source: in-house study

Investment changes in firms have changed the employment structure of one in four firms (26 %) which introduced them. 29 % of respondents in which companies invested in response to the pandemic situation admitted that these investments had contributed to changing their company’s strategic areas of competence.

One in three (34 %) thinks that the pandemic period, due to the increased demand for ICT solutions, has contributed to the development of the industry. Indeed, IT representatives are more likely than companies in the TCB sector (48 % vs. 19 %). These data are detailed in Figure 19.

Entrepreneurs where investments were made due to the specificities of the pandemic period mostly believe that these investments have not contributed to a change in the employment structure of their firms (68 %). In a few companies (N=19) whose employment structure has changed, there has been an increase in the number of developers, data managers and database administrators, information management, project, cybersecurity and cloud specialists.

FIGURE 19. Did the pandemic period, due to the increased demand for ICT solutions, in your view contribute to the development of the industry?

Source: in-house study

According to most respondents, investment in their companies has also not contributed to changes in the company’s strategic areas of competence (68 %). In the TCB sector, slightly more people than in IT are of the opinion that these investments have led to changes in areas of competence. Detailed results are presented in Figure 20.

FIGURE 20. Have the investments in your company changed strategic areas of competence in your company?

Source: in-house study

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The second edition of the quantitative survey led to the following conclusions and recommendations:

1. Compared to the first edition, there is a higher proportion of replies indicating that the total number of employees employed by the company will increase over the next 12 months (an increase of 5 pps). Businesses are no longer as uncertain as in the first edition of the survey, but still a relatively large proportion of respondents find it difficult to answer this question.
   Although the level of employment in the industry is stable (taking into account also other areas of the economy), it is worthwhile that firms maintain/create contingency management plans for the company that assume different employment situations (e.g. planning possible solutions if there is a need to reduce employment or increase employment in the TCB sector, which may be linked to the increased demand for professionals due to the increased number of cyber attacks).
2. As in the first edition of the study, the key issue for the functioning of companies in the IT and TCB sectors has also been/is to maintain business continuity. The recommendation to consider introducing/maintaining a crisis response strategy in the event of further waves of the pandemic or other unforeseen events remains valid.
3. Ensuring the security of data, applications and networks in connection with the introduction of remote working, remote customer service and the provision of services at a distance is now (as in the first edition of the study), immediately after maintaining business continuity, the most important task for the company’s operations. It is worth redirecting the company’s activities to this area of work and, if necessary, providing staff with appropriate training to improve their skills in this area.
4. Almost one in five are unaware of how the pandemic and its consequences will affect firms’ competence needs in the next 12 months, particularly for companies in the TCB sector. Knowledge of competence needs, especially in such a short term, is crucial for the development of the company, and it is therefore recommended to carry out cyclical studies of competence needs, including an inventory of competences.
5. In the coming 12 months, the key competences will be: maintaining and developing ICT infrastructure and ensuring the security of electronic communication channels and data resource management (both 4.07). In the first edition of the study, in turn, customer service, including the provision of technical assistance services, was the most important competence in remote mode. At present, this competence and the competences related to teleworking (project management, organisation of remote working in the company) are at the bottom of the list of key competences in the companies surveyed. This situation shows that the changes in the company’s most important competences are quite dynamic. Therefore, the relevance of the competences concerned should be systematically reviewed in the future (e.g. through the aforementioned assessment of the balance of competences) and on the basis of such an analysis, the necessary training for staff should be planned.
   All recommendations on the need for training support the fact that almost all companies surveyed acquire the necessary competences mainly by maintaining, training and retraining their own employees, less often by attracting experienced professionals and recruiting new people for training.
6. 31 % of respondents consider that changes to the education system should be introduced as soon as possible in view of the pandemic situation and its forecasted effects, in particular by representatives of the IT sector. According to most respondents, resources should already be made available to retrain workers, update and adapt secondary school education programmes, and increase the number of (remote) trainings and courses for workers in the sector. More than half of those surveyed consider that educational programmes should also be updated and adapted.
7. More than half of the respondents whose companies cooperate with schools/universities would like this cooperation to be deepened. Respondents see a lot of benefits in terms of joint action, such as increasing the company’s competitiveness, developing the skills of workers entering the labour market and increasing the company’s prestige. There is no such interaction among companies that do not cooperate with schools/universities due to the lack of need for such cooperation on the part of companies. Entrepreneurs, when talking about barriers to business interaction with schools/universities, most often pointed to excessive formalisation and procedures in schools/universities. In particular, it would be useful to disseminate information on the benefits of joint work for both sides. The next step should be to reduce formalisation and procedures in schools/universities and to simplify the start of cooperation between actors.

LIST OF TABLES AND GRAPHS

List of tables

• Table 1. Interviews carried out – breakdown by sector and company size
• Table 2. Main activity of the company
• Table 3. How important are the different areas of work for the company today – aggregated data (sum of key responses + important) for all surveyers from the first and second rounds of the study
• Table 4. How important are the different areas of tasks for the company’s operations today (scoring from 1 to 5, where 1 means: not relevant, 2 – low importance, 3 – medium importance, 4 – high importance, 5 key) – aggregated data for the IT and TCB sectors
• Table 5. What is the importance of these competences in your company today? competences with the greatest differences between averages in the sectors surveyed
• Table 6. Please rate the importance of these competences in your company in the near future (12 months)? competences with the greatest differences between averages in the sectors surveyed
• Table 7. Key competences in the context of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, whose importance will decrease most over the next 12 months – aggregates for the IT and TCB sectors
• Table 8. Key competences in the context of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic: currently and in the next 12 months – aggregated data for the IT and TCB sectors
• Table 9. Do you think there are currently professionals on the labour market with the above mentioned competences? summary data for ‘strongly yes’ + ‘fairly yes’ for the first and second rounds of the study
• Table 10. Should the following actions now be introduced in the education system?

Table of Figures

• Figure 1. How long does your company operate on the market?
• Figure 2. How many employees are employed in your company, regardless of the type of contract or form of employment?
• Figure 3. During the pandemic period (March 2020 to date), has the total number of employees employed in your company decreased, increased or remained at the same level?
• Figure 4. In your opinion, will the total number of employees employed by your company decrease, increase or stay at the same level over the next months?
• Figure 5. Figure 5. How important are the different areas of tasks for the company’s operations today (scoring from 1 to 5, where 1 means: not relevant, 2 – low importance, 3 – medium importance, 4 – high importance, 5 key) – aggregated data for the IT and TCB sectors
• Figure 6. To what extent does the pandemic situation affect the need to change the skills of workers?
• Figure 7. How do you think the pandemic and its consequences will affect your company’s competence needs in the next 12 months? aggregated data for the IT and TCB sectors
• Figure 8. Please indicate how your company currently acquires the necessary competences?
• Figure 9. Do you think there are currently professionals on the labour market with the above mentioned competences? aggregated data for the IT and TCB sectors
• Figure 10. Please state whether you consider that changes to the education system should now be introduced in view of the pandemic situation and its projected effects?
• Figure 11. Should the following actions now be introduced in the education system? aggregated data for the IT and TCB sectors
• Figure 12. Please tell us how do you rate the current cooperation of your company with the schools of\university?
• Figure 13. What are the forms of cooperation between your company and schools?
• Figure 14. Would you like your cooperation with the schools of\universities to be deepened?
• Figure 15. Could you indicate the benefits of your company’s cooperation with the schools of\university?
• Figure 16. In your opinion, what are the barriers for companies in your industry to cooperate with the schools of\university?
• Figure 17. Has your company been prompted by the pandemic period to invest due to the specificities of this period, i.e. changing its business model and increasing demand for ICT solutions?
• Figure 18. Please indicate which of the areas were invested in your company during the pandemic.
• Figure 19. Did the pandemic period, due to the increased demand for ICT solutions, in your view contribute to the development of the industry?
• Figure 20. Have the investments in your company changed strategic areas of competence in your company?

Footnotes

• [1] The average has been calculated on the basis of a scale from 1 to 5, where 1 means “not/will not be relevant” and 5 means “are/will be of key importance”.
• [2] Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Situation Report –51, https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/situation-reports/20200311-sitrep-51-covid-19.pdf?sfvrsn=1ba62e57_10 (access: 01.07.2021).
• [3] The economy and jobs during the coronavirus pandemic, https://ec.europa.eu/info/live-work-travel-eu/coronavirus-response/jobs-and-economy-during-coronavirus-pandemic_pl (access: 01.07.2021).
• [4] The average was calculated on the basis of responses 1 to 5, where 1 means ‘not relevant’ and 5 means: “they are crucial”.
• [5]The average has been calculated on the basis of a scale from 1 to 5, where 1 means ‘not relevant’ and 5 means ‘are/will be of key importance’.

PART II

Competence needs in the context of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic

Report on the study on anti-video measures in the IT sector

EDITION II

SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

Company characteristics

In the second edition of the survey, companies with PKD 62 were the most represented, i.e. companies active in software, IT consultancy and other IT and computer service activities (50 %).

38 % of IT companies operate in the labour market more than 15 years old, slightly less than 10 years old (32 %) and 30 % of companies operating between 10 and 15 years.

According to the methodological assumptions, small, medium-sized and large firms were overrepresented in the population in the sample. Thus, micro-companies, employing between 1 and 9 people, represented 24 % of all IT companies.

Almost all IT companies surveyed are independent and independent (92 %), a negligible percentage operates as one of the branches of a larger company (6 %) or is the head office of a multi-branch company (2 %).

It employers are unlikely to plan changes in employment over the next 12 months (73 % for replies: “employment will remain at the same level”).

Currently, the most relevant area for the IT companies surveyed is to align their actions with the legal regulations (87 %: sum of the answers “high importance” and “key importance”).

Changes in competences due to the pandemic situation

The pandemic is currently affecting the functioning of 34 % of IT companies. A quarter of respondents consider that the pandemic situation is currently affecting the need to change the skills of workers, although 53 % of them consider the scope of such changes to be moderate. The vast majority of respondents (87 %) believe that the pandemic and its consequences will not change anything in terms of competence needs in their companies in the next 12 months.

Skills and competences needed to deal with pandemic and post-pandemic situations

Competences related to software development, development and management are of utmost importance today (medium: 4,28^[1]), as well as competences related to the maintenance and development of ICT infrastructure and data resource management (average: 4.25 each). In turn, over the next 12 months, the most important competences will be: data resource management (average: 4.23) and ensuring the security of electronic communication channels, including proper verification of the identity of the parties to the communication (average: 4,22).

Almost all representatives of IT companies (98 %) reported that their companies are acquiring the necessary skills through the maintenance, training and retraining of their own employees. 47 % of them are also able to acquire the necessary skills by attracting experienced professionals from the labour market and recruiting young specialists/university graduates and preparing them for business tasks.

The competences that are most easily available because there are workers with them on the market are now: teleworking and cybersecurity education for workers and stakeholders (74 % for combined answers ‘strongly yes’ and ‘rather yes’), data resource management (74 %), risk analysis in a volatile, unstable working and business environment (73 %), software development, development and management (73 %) and information management (73 %).

Expectations of the education system

Almost half of respondents (47 %) think that changes in the education system are necessary and should be implemented as soon as possible, and 42 % of respondents do not need to do so. 11 % of people think it is difficult to answer the question of changes in the education system and it is worth waiting to stabilise the situation and to detect it as trends continue.

Almost all representatives of IT companies reported that their companies are acquiring the necessary skills through the maintenance, training and retraining of their own employees.

As many as 84 % of respondents consider it useful to update and adapt the study programmes now (the sum of the answers “strongly yes” and “fairly yes”). Few fewer people see the need to make resources available for retraining workers (82 %), to update and adapt secondary education programmes (79 %) and to increase the number of (remote) trainings and courses for workers in the sector (72 %).

Investment and development

A majority of respondents (57 %) replied that the pandemic period did not induce their company to invest due to the specificities of this period. The companies that decided to invest due to the pandemic mainly pointed to areas related to the implementation of remote working (85 %) and business continuity (62 %). Investment changes in firms have changed the employment structure of almost one in four firms (23 %) which introduced them. Almost half of respondents (48 %) believe that the pandemic period, due to the increased demand for ICT solutions, has contributed to the development of the industry.

INTRODUCTION

The COVID-19 pandemic, which the world has been struggling since 11 March^{2020 [2]}, continues to have a huge impact on society’s lives, health and behaviour. It has forced the government to make many legislative changes, often sudden and restrictive, which have had and continue to have a major impact on the economy. The economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis varies across sectors and companies and depends on a number of factors, i.e. adaptability to supply chain disruptions and whether the components are stored or whether the sector operates on the basis of ‘exact time’ production^[3]. The pandemic and the related quarantine have forced companies to seek solutions to operate and cooperate (both at intra-company level and in contact with customers, subcontractors and suppliers) remotely. This has been a huge challenge both for companies trying to keep on the market in uncertain times of the pandemic and for the IT sector, which is trying to meet unprecedented demand for services. The scale and pace of change has forced the IT sector to develop new, effective solutions to enable companies to operate safely in many industries during the pandemic. Many of the solutions available, such as the widespread online meetings, have been in line with business standards and will be widely used even after the end of the pandemic.

The aim of this study is to identify important areas of responsibility for industry companies today, to identify skills changes caused by the pandemic and to identify skills needs revealed by the pandemic and its projected effects. The objectives of the study shall also be to: to verify what skills companies need to operate in reality as a result of COVID-19 and to assess the cooperation between industry companies and schools/universities. In addition, the implementation of the study has allowed to deepen the theme of business investment resulting from the pandemic.

The results of the study will serve as a basis for building scenarios for future training, education and advisory activities in order to provide the skills and competences needed to ensure the smooth functioning of business in the face of existing disruptions and the projected impact of the pandemic. The result of the study will be to determine whether and what competences have proven to be necessary and which are lacking or will be lacking in the near term, in the context of the expected consequences of the pandemic for the IT sector.

TEST METHODOLOGY

Test Editions

The study is divided into two editions. The research tools for each edition were slightly different, but leaving some questions unchanged made it possible to compare the results obtained in each edition. The deadlines for implementation of each part of the study are given below:

• And Edition: June 2021
• Second edition: February/March 2022

Respondents

The material scope of the survey required the respondent to have a broad knowledge of the company, both in the context of the company’s situation, strategy and skills desired and possessed by the employees. As a result, people in charge of work organisation, job planning and recruitment processes in companies participated in the survey. The participants in the survey were those who were best placed to meet the skills needs of the enterprises.

Among the people with the greatest knowledge of the company’s personnel policy, including in particular recruitment activities, assessment of employee competences and skills gaps, were:

• owners, co-owners,
• Governors, Vice-Presidents,
• managing directors,
• HR and HR Directors, HR specialists,
• the heads/managers of units responsible for the implementation of the main business processes in companies.

They have detailed knowledge of the need for skills in the sector. This is due to their experience, length of service in the sector, career paths within the company and good knowledge of the company’s organisational culture. They are also able to assess the match between supply and demand for skills. Each interview was preceded by a block of questions (screener) to verify whether the company meets the criteria to participate in the survey and whether the respondent has the necessary knowledge to respond to the questionnaire.

Test sample

The survey covered representatives of micro, small, medium and large IT companies. The criterion of ensuring the representativeness of survey participants from individual enterprise groups (small, medium, large) was the number of employees:

• small enterprises employing between 1 and 49 people (the tables break down into two groups: 1-9 and 10-49),
• medium-sized enterprises with 50 to 249 employees,
• large enterprises employing 250 people and more.

According to the assumptions, at least 125 interviews with IT companies should have been carried out in each round of surveys.

Source: In-house study

The survey uses a quota selection allowing for interviews with employees in the sector, as well as of all sizes. Over-representation of companies with more than 9 employees was used.

In the end, 126 interviews with IT companies were carried out. Table 1 shows the breakdown by company size measured by the number of employees employed.

Test technique

The main testing technique used in the study was CAWI. Computer Assisted Web Interview), a computer-assisted web interview. In case of difficulties in closing/completing the CAWI survey, interviews were carried out with the support of interviewers with the agreement of the Contracting Authority.

Description of the organisation of the study

The survey’s procedure to reach respondents was based on data from the company frame. In order to maximise the effectiveness of reaching out to respondents, a several-step contact procedure is foreseen.

As a first step, an invitation to participate in the survey was sent by e-mail to the addresses of the companies. The invitation contained information on the objectives of the study and a request for authorisation to participate. A letter of recommendation signed by the Polish Society of Information Technology has also been prepared, which has raised the credibility of the study and thus increased the chance of a smooth implementation of the study. A letter of recommendation was sent to potential respondents together with the invitations to participate in the survey.

The invitation to participate in the study included:

• to whom the message is addressed (the respondent’s characteristics),
• purpose of the study,
• the name of the Contractor and the Contracting Authority,
• emphasising the authority of the Contracting Authority,
• emphasising the objective of the study as socially useful,
• information on anonymity and voluntary participation,
• the deadline for implementation.

Links to the CAWI survey were sent with the invitation to take part in the survey. Each of the links was allocated individually, allowing the respondent to interrupt the survey during the survey and return to it at an convenient moment. The individual links made it possible to verify in which specific companies did not fill in the survey and on this basis further steps could be taken to ensure a smooth implementation, e.g. 3 e-mail reminders were sent to these companies and were recruited by telephone. The purpose of the telephone recruitment by experienced recreuters was to:

• verification that the respondent received the message with the invitation;
• possible update of the data and re-submission of the invitation to the study,
• request to participate in the study with a valid argumentation.

Test control

The process of carrying out online surveys was carried out in accordance with the testing standards of the CAWI PKJPA. A non-field inspection was carried out, covering 100 % of the material. Its objective was to capture through statistical methods the logical inconsistency and misstatement of the respondent’s answers, which might have suggested incorrect completion of the survey. The non-terrene check shall consist of a check of:

• correctness of the times and between times – verification of the duration of interviews (in justified cases also individual question blocks or even individual questions) and between times,
• consistency of the response profile,
• quality of answers – frequency of ambivalent answers or so-called “special values” such as “difficult to say” or refusal of answers;
• consistency with external data -comparison of information gathered during the interview with information known to surveyors from other sources;
• logical consistency – the data collected is checked on the consequences in the application of filters and on the logical consistency of the answers to the questionnaire;
• correct recording of (half) open questions – the role of the researcher is to check whether the answers appearing in the “other” option do not appear in the cafeteria proposed in the question. This avoids inaccuracies and increases the reliability of the data.

COMPANY CHARACTERISTICS

Half of the firms in the survey are companies active in software, IT consultancy and other IT and computer service activities (50 %). The smallest representation was the software publishing companies (21 %). Detailed information on the structure of the interviews carried out is presented in Table 2.

38 % of the companies surveyed operate on the market over 15 years and 30 % of companies are active for 10 to 15 years. Almost one in three firms operate on the market under 10 years (32 %). Among the micro-enterprises, i.e. companies with between 1 and 9 employees, the largest group of companies were those active on the market between 10 and 15 years (47 %). At the same time, this period of market operation was the least common among large companies, employing 250 and more employees (8 %). Figure 1 shows data on the length of IT companies in the market.

The distribution of responses to the question of the length of the company’s activity in the sector was almost even. The largest indication of the length of activity of firms in the sector was less than 10 years (35 %). An equally high number of companies were active in the sector over 15 years. Figure 2 shows data on the length of IT companies in the sector.

Source: in-house study

FIGURE 1. How long does your company operate on the market?

Source: in-house study

FIGURE 2. How long is your company active in the sector?

Source: in-house study

The largest number of IT companies employs between 10 and 49 employees (44 %). Almost one in four of the companies surveyed employed between 1 and 9 employees (24 %). Slightly fewer representatives reported that their companies employ between 50 and 249 employees (21 %). The smallest share is large companies with 250 and more employees (11 %). See Figure 3 for details.

FIGURE 3. How many employees are employed in your company, regardless of the type of contract or form of employment?

Source: in-house study

The vast majority of companies are independent and independent (92 %). Among the entities surveyed were also companies which were branches of a larger company (6 %). The smallest group was the head office of a multi-branch company (2 %). These figures are shown in Graph No 4.

FIGURE 4. Is your company…

Source: in-house study

During the pandemic period (March 2020 to date), in the vast majority of firms the total number of employees remained stable (81 %), especially in micro-companies, with up to 9 employees (93 %). A compilation of the data from the first and second editions of the survey shows a similar distribution of respondents’ responses. In both editions, respondents most often described the employment structure as stable, stable during the pandemic (81 % of the indications in both the first and second editions). At the same time, in the second edition of the survey, there is a slight increase in the proportion of indications relating to the increase in the number of employees in firms (First edition: 12 %, 2nd edition: 14 %) In addition, the second edition of the survey reported a slightly smaller proportion of responses indicating a decrease in the number of employees during the pandemic period (First edition: 7 %, 2nd edition: 4 %) See Figure 5 for details.

FIGURE 5. During the pandemic period (March 2020 to date), has the total number of employees employed in your company decreased, increased or remained at the same level?

Source: in-house study

In both editions of the survey, respondents reported the highest number of jobs remaining at the same level over the next 12 months (First edition: 70 %, 2nd edition: 73 %). At the same time, in the second edition, employment forecasts, aimed at stabilising them over the next 12 months (by 3 pp.), have increased. This answer was most frequently mentioned by respondents from the group of micro-enterprises (90 %). In addition, the results of the second edition show a significant increase in the projected number of employees in companies over the coming year (first edition: 8 %, 2nd edition: 18 %). Moreover, the second edition does not foresee a reduction in the number of employees employed in IT companies in the next 12 months. This is a noticeable difference compared to the ones tested in the first edition (First edition: 5 %, 2nd edition: 0 %) Figures for the forecast employment forecasts for the next 12 months are presented in Graph 6.

FIGURE 6. In your opinion, will the total number of employees employed by your company decrease, increase or stay at the same level over the next 12 months?

Source: in-house study

The results of the study indicate that each of these areas is important for the functioning of companies in the IT sector. At present, the most important task for companies to operate is to align their actions with regulation (87 % for the combined answers “high importance” and “key importance”). Equally often, the provision of adequate technical resources for the fulfilment of emerging tasks (85 %) and the security of data, applications and connectivity in relation to the introduction of remote working, remote customer service and the provision of services at a distance (84 %) were cited as important or crucial for the functioning of the company. The organisation of teleworking in the company is currently the lowest assessed (77 % for the sum of “key importance” and “high importance”). Detailed data on the validity of all activity areas are now shown in Figure 7.

FIGURE 7. How important are the different areas of tasks for the company’s operations today (scoring from 1 to 5, where 1 means: not relevant, 2 – low importance, 3 – medium importance, 4 – high, 5 critical).

Source: in-house study

Comparing the results of the second edition of the survey with the results of the first edition, it is noticeable that the importance of aligning the actions taken with regulation has increased significantly (First edition: 60 %, 2nd edition: 87 % for “key importance” and “high importance” combined). At the same time, the results of the second edition show that the importance of each of the listed business areas has increased.

Taking into account the average responses from each of the specified areas of operation of the firm, the highest value is to maintain the firm’s business continuity (average: 4,39). The answer indicating the organisation of remote work in the company, as a significant area for the company’s operations, reached the lowest average value (average: 4,06). It is also worth adding that the responses in each of the listed work areas in the IT sector were relatively high. See Table 4 for details.

* The arrows up show a higher percentage of the sum of the answers “strongly yes” and “fairly yes” compared to the first edition of the survey.
Source: in-house study

Source: in-house study

CHANGES IN COMPETENCES IN THE PANDEMIC SITUATION

The pandemic period was sometimes challenging and uncertain for many companies, including for those operating in the IT sector. More than half of the respondents indicated that the pandemic currently has no impact on the functioning of their companies (65 %). At the same time, 34 % of those surveyed in the IT sector indicated such an impact. Detailed data on the current impact of the pandemic on the functioning of IT companies are shown in Figure 8.

Three quarters of respondents indicated that the pandemic does not currently affect the need to change staff competences (75 %). At the same time, almost one in four respondents consider that the need to change workers’ competences as a result of the pandemic is still valid (24 %). Figures on the current impact of the pandemic on the need to change workers’ competences are presented in Figure 9.

When analysing the distribution of answers to the question on the extent of the impact of the pandemic situation on the need to change staff competences, it is noticeable that respondents from the IT sector are divided into two groups. Almost half of those surveyed point to a large extent of the impact of the pandemic on the need to change staff competences (47 %). At the same time, other surveyors from this group pointed to the moderate extent of the impact of the pandemic on skills changes in IT companies (53 %). The impact of the pandemic situation on the need to change the skills of the staff has not been identified by the investigators at a small or very small extent. The details of the answer to this question are presented in Figure 10.

Three quarters of respondents indicated that the pandemic does not currently affect the need to change staff competences.

The vast majority of those surveyed in the IT sector consider that, as a result of the pandemic and its consequences, nothing will change in terms of competence needs in their companies over the next 12 months (87 %). Only 3 % of respondents in this sector point to a need for new competences over the next 12 months, resulting from the pandemic and its consequences. Among the respondents who indicated that there was a need for new competences, they were mostly employed in medium-sized and large enterprises (7 % of each group of enterprises). Detailed data on the opinions surveyed from the IT sector on the impact of the pandemic and its impact on competence needs in the coming months are shown in Graph 11.

FIGURE 8. Is the pandemic currently affecting the functioning of your company?

Source: in-house study

FIGURE 9. Is the pandemic currently affecting the need to change staff competences?

Source: in-house study

FIGURE 10. To what extent does the pandemic situation affect the need to change the skills of workers?

Source: in-house study

FIGURE 11. How do you think the pandemic and its consequences will affect your company’s competence needs in the next 12 months?

Source: in-house study

SKILLS AND COMPETENCES NEEDED TO DEAL WITH PANDEMIC AND POST-PANDEMIC SITUATIONS

Regardless of the title of the post, the performance of professional roles and tasks requires a certain level of specialised competence. The survey presented to respondents a list of selected key competences in the context of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Respondents were asked to comment on these competences and to identify the importance of these competences in their company at the moment and how important they would be in the next 12 months.

All of these competences have proven to be important or crucial for more than half of those surveyed in the IT sector. Competences related to software development, development and management are of utmost importance today (medium: 4.28^[4]), maintenance and development of ICT infrastructure (average: 4,25), data resource management (average: 4.25) and system integration (average: 4.21) and the implementation, configuration, administration and security of document workflow systems (average: 4,21). Currently, the organisation of remote and hybrid work in the company is the least important (average: 3,86), process automation and robotisation (average: 3.97) and project management in remote working mode (average: 3,98).

Data resource management will be of utmost importance in the coming 12 months (average: 4.23) ensuring the security of electronic communication channels, including proper verification of the identity of the parties to the communication (average: 4,22) and data analysis and use to support decisions (average: 4,21). The least relevant competences over the next 12 months are the organisation of remote and hybrid work (average: 3.86) and project management in remote and hybrid mode (average: 3,87). The most remarkable information is presented in Table 6.

The biggest difference in the assessment of the importance of key competences today and over the next 12 months has been observed for the development, development and management of software and for the maintenance and development of ICT infrastructure.
These data are presented in Table 5.

Source: in-house study

FIGURE 12. Please indicate how your company currently acquires the necessary competences?

Source: in-house study

In Table 6, the arrows indicate an increase in the average assessment of the importance of key competences compared to the first series of the survey. All these key competences in both timeframes are/will be more relevant than in Series I.

In both the first edition and the second edition of the study, software creation, development and management were most frequently mentioned as competences of key or high current importance for IT companies (first edition: 77 %, 2nd edition: 88 % – the combined share of the answers is “critical” and “highly important”). At the same time, it is noticeable that, as in the first edition, the second edition of the survey is the least likely to mention the organisation of remote and hybrid work (first edition: 54 %, 2nd edition: 67 %) as a key or important competence. When comparing the results between editions, there is an increase in the number of indications in the second edition of the survey for the “key” response for all the competences listed.

Looking at the share of indications of competences that will be critical or important in the next 12 months, respondents in the second edition of the survey are much more likely than in the first edition of the survey to ensure the security of electronic communication channels, including proper verification of the identity of the communication pages (First edition: 73 %, 2nd edition: 88 %)

Almost all firms surveyed acquire the necessary competences by maintaining, training or retraining their own employees (98 %). The share of this response remains stable over the two editions carried out. 47 % also benefit from attracting experienced professionals from the market and employing young professionals, university graduates and preparing them for business tasks (47 % each). In the second edition of the survey, there was an increase in the indications for both the acquisition of experienced specialists and university graduates (First edition: 42 % for each response, second edition: 47 % for each answer). One in four respondents acknowledged that his company acquires the necessary competences through cooperation with schools or universities (traineeships/apprenticeships) (25 %). Detailed data on how to acquire competence is shown in Graph No 12.

* Upward arrows indicate a higher average assessment of individual key competences compared to the first edition of the survey.
Source: in-house study

ASSESSMENT OF THE AVAILABILITY OF PROFESSIONALS ON THE LABOUR MARKET

The results of the survey show that there are professionals in the labour market with a minimum of 67 % of respondents answering “fairly yes” or “strongly yes” for each competency. The competences considered to be most easily accessible (because there are employees on the market) are: teleworking and cybersecurity education for workers and stakeholders (74 % for combined answers ‘strongly yes’ and ‘rather yes’), data resource management (74 %), risk analysis in a volatile, unstable working and business environment (73 %), software development, development and management (73 %) and information management (73 %).

The competence associated with the smallest availability of professionals is the application of legal regulations related to remote and hybrid work and the organisation of remote and hybrid work in the company, although it should be mentioned that 67 % of respondents still consider these to be the competences of workers in the labour market. Data for all these competences are shown in Figure 13.

Although respondents consider that currently there are specialists with these competences in the labour market, it is worth noting that in the second edition of the survey, the percentages confirming this opinion are slightly lower than in the first edition. The biggest difference in data relates to the management of the digitisation process. In the first edition of the survey, as many as 84 % of respondents said that there were professionals with such skills on the labour market, while in the second round of the survey this percentage fell to 69 %. A detailed comparison of the results for the two test waves is presented in Table 7.

FIGURE 13. Do you think there are currently professionals on the labour market with the above mentioned competences?

Source: in-house study

* The arrows show a lower percentage of the sum of the answers “strongly yes” and “fairly yes” compared to the first edition of the survey.
Source: in-house study

EXPECTATIONS OF THE EDUCATION SYSTEM

There is no consensus among respondents on whether changes to the education system should be introduced due to the pandemic situation and its projected effects. However, almost half of respondents believe that changes should be introduced as soon as possible (47 %). 42 % of IT representatives do not see a need for significant changes in the education system. One tenth surveyed was unable to define his position on the need for changes in the education system and considered it worthwhile to wait for the stabilisation of the situation and to detect it as trends continue. A similar trend was observed in the first edition of the survey, at which time 44 % of respondents felt that changes in the education system should be implemented as soon as possible. At that time, only 28 % of the correspondents considered that substantial changes were not necessary and 28 % could not answer this question. The data described are shown in Figure 14.

FIGURE 14. Please state whether you consider that changes to the education system should now be introduced in view of the pandemic situation and its projected effects?

Source: in-house study

FIGURE 15. Should the following actions now be introduced in the education system?

Source: in-house study

FIGURE 16. Please tell us how do you rate your company’s current cooperation with schools/universities?

Source: in-house study

FIGURE 17. What are the forms of cooperation between your company and schools/universities?

Source: in-house study

84 % think it is worth updating and adapting education programmes for studies. Few fewer people also pointed to the need to make resources available for retraining workers (82 % in total for ‘strongly yes’ and ‘fairly yes’). The least common IT surveyers indicated an increase in the number of remote trainings and courses for industry workers (72 %). It is worth adding that, also in the first edition of the survey, more than half of the corresponding studies considered that each of the measures in question should be implemented in the education system. Graph 15 provides data for all responses concerning the implementation of changes in the education system.

More than half of the respondents assess at least well the current cooperation of their company with schools or universities (55 % in total for ‘very good’ and ‘well’). 40 % of respondents do not have a clear assessment of the current cooperation with educational units, and only 1 % of respondents think this cooperation is poor. These data are shown in Graph No 16.

The reason for the lack of cooperation with schools or universities was the most frequently cited lack of need (59 %) by those surveyed in the IT sector. On the other hand, the companies that carried out such cooperation were most likely to refer, as a form of cooperation with schools or universities, to the provision of practical courses (apprenticeships) and internships for pupils or students (56 %). A form of cooperation between companies and universities is also through the involvement of students in the writing of professional masters for business purposes (38 %) and the participation of company representatives in meetings at school or university to show the specific characteristics of the IT industry (37 %). Medium-sized enterprises were significantly more likely to attend meetings in schools or universities, with the lowest number of companies employing up to 9 people. The least used way of cooperation was for schools or universities to offer access to their resources (9 %). Detailed data on the forms of cooperation with schools or universities can be found in Graph 17.

Of the IT companies surveyed, 64 % believe that they would like to deepen their cooperation with schools or universities. Medium-sized enterprises are the largest group of companies wishing to do so (81 % of this group of companies). Only 8 % of IT respondents are not willing to deepen their cooperation with educational units. Detailed data are shown in Graph No 18.

FIGURE 18. Would you like your cooperation with schools/universities to be deepened?

Source: in-house study

Almost half of the companies surveyed in the IT sector pointed to an increase in the company’s competitiveness (49 %) as a benefit of the company’s cooperation with schools/universities. Equally, it was often chosen to broaden areas of competence and develop the skills of workers entering the labour market (45 % each). Adapting education programmes to the market situation (21 %) and access to state-of-the-art knowledge (23 %) was the least likely to be an advantage for a company to cooperate with schools or universities. Detailed data are shown in Graph 19.

FIGURE 19. Could you indicate the benefits of your company’s cooperation with schools/universities?

Source: in-house study

FIGURE 20. In your opinion, what are the barriers for companies from your industry to cooperate with schools/universities?

Source: in-house study

More than half identified excessive formalisation and procedures in schools or universities as the biggest barrier for IT companies to cooperate with schools or universities (56 %). Other identified barriers were: lack of flexibility and adaptation of the scientific world to the requirements of the market in the industry (42 %) and reluctance of scientists to cooperate with business representatives (37 %). The least perceived obstacle in the IT sector was the lack of time to engage in additional activities by either side (19 %). Detailed data are shown in Figure 20.

INVESTMENT AND DEVELOPMENT

Due to its specificities, the pandemic has contributed to changes in the business model and increased demand for ICT solutions, which has contributed to a greater propensity to invest in enterprises. 41 % of IT respondents see this kind of impact of the pandemic on their activities. Medium-sized companies are the largest group of firms that declare a greater propensity to invest during the pandemic (59 % of this group of companies). More than half of respondents believe that the pandemic period has not prompted their company to invest (57 %). These figures are shown in Graph No 21.

FIGURE 21. Has your company been prompted by the pandemic period to invest due to the specificities of this period, i.e. changing its business model and increasing demand for ICT solutions?

Source: in-house study

The vast majority of the companies that invested in their activities during the pandemic indicated the implementation of remote working as the area to be invested (85 %). Respondents also often mentioned areas such as: ensure business continuity (62 %) and increase the level of cybersecurity (52 %). The least investment during the pandemic was made in the areas of use of artificial intelligence and 5G (2 % each). Detailed data are shown in Graph No 22.

FIGURE 22. Please indicate which of the areas were invested in your company during the pandemic.

Source: in-house study

Almost half of those surveyed in the IT sector agree that the pandemic period, due to the increased demand for ICT solutions, contributed to the development of the industry (48 %). These data are shown in Figure 23.

FIGURE 23. Did the pandemic period, due to the increased demand for ICT solutions, in your view contribute to the development of the industry?

Source: in-house study

Three quarters of the companies that carried out investment activities believe that they did not contribute to changes in the employment structure during the pandemic. On the other hand, 23 % of respondents notice the impact of the investments carried out during the pandemic period on employment in the IT sector. These data are shown in Figure 24. In a few companies (N=12) whose employment structure has changed, there has been an increase in the number of developers, data managers and database administrators, information management, design, cybersecurity specialists, specialists responsible for customer technical services and cooperation, and cloud computing specialists.

FIGURE 24. Have the investments in your company contributed to changing the employment structure during the pandemic?

Source: in-house study

Almost three quarters of respondents believe that the investments made have not contributed to changes in the company’s strategic areas of competence (73 %). Only 27 % of respondents believe that these investments have contributed to changes in the company’s strategic areas of competence. These data are shown in Figure 25.

FIGURE 25. Have the investments in your company changed strategic areas of competence in your company?

Source: in-house study

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The second edition of the quantitative survey led to the following conclusions and recommendations for IT companies:

1. Compared to the first edition, there is a higher proportion of replies indicating that the number of employees in total employed in the company will increase over the next 12 months (an increase of 10 pps). Businesses are no longer as uncertain as in the first edition of the survey, but still a relatively large proportion of respondents find it difficult to answer this question.
   Although the level of employment in the IT sector is stable (taking into account also other areas of the economy), it is worthwhile that firms maintain/create contingency management plans for the company that assume different employment situations (e.g. planning possible solutions in case of large-scale reduction or increase in employment).
2. At present, the most important areas of tasks for the functioning of a company are: align with regulation and provide adequate technical resources to perform emerging tasks and ensure security of data, applications and networks in relation to the introduction of remote working, remote customer service and the provision of services at a distance. It is worth redirecting the company’s activities to this area of work and, if necessary, providing staff with appropriate training to improve their skills in the areas described.
3. Every tenth of the surveyed do not know how the pandemic and its effects will affect firms’ competence needs in the next 12 months. Knowledge of skills needs, especially in such a short period of time, is crucial for the development of the company, and it is therefore recommended to carry out cyclical research on skills needs, including an inventory of competences.
4. In the coming 12 months, the most important competences will be: managing data resources and ensuring the security of electronic communication channels, including proper verification of the identity of the parties to the communication. Changes in the company’s most important competencies are quite dynamic. Therefore, the relevance of the competences concerned should be systematically reviewed in the future (e.g. through the aforementioned competency balance survey) and on the basis of such an analysis, the necessary training for employees should be planned.All recommendations on the need for training confirm the fact that almost all IT companies surveyed acquire the necessary competences mainly by maintaining, training and retraining their own employees, less often by attracting experienced professionals and recruiting new people for training. Knowledge of competence needs, especially in such a short term, is crucial for the development of the company, and it is therefore recommended to carry out cyclical studies of competence needs, including an inventory of competences.
5. Almost half of the respondents (47 %) believe that changes to the education system should be implemented as soon as possible in view of the pandemic situation and its predicted effects. According to most respondents, the adaptation of education programmes in secondary and secondary education should already be updated, resources should be made available for retraining workers, and the number of (remote) trainings and courses for workers in the sector should be increased.
6. More than half of the respondents, whose companies cooperate with schools/universities, would like this cooperation to be deepened. Respondents see a lot of benefits in terms of joint action, including increasing the company’s competitiveness, broadening the company’s areas of competence and developing the skills of workers entering the labour market. Entrepreneurs, when talking about barriers to cooperation between companies and schools/universities, most often pointed to excessive formalisation and procedures in schools/universities. In particular, it would be useful to disseminate information on the benefits of joint work for both sides. The next step should be to reduce formalisation and procedures in schools/universities and to simplify the start of cooperation between actors.

LIST OF TABLES AND GRAPHS

List of tables

• Table 1. Interviews carried out – breakdown by sector and company size
• Table 2. Main activity of the company – breakdown by PKD code
• Table 3. How important are the different areas of responsibility for the company’s operations today – aggregated data (key sum + important) for all surveyers from the first and second rounds of the study
• Table 4. How important are the different areas of tasks for the company’s operations today (scoring from 1 to 5, where 1 means: not relevant, 2 – low importance, 3 – medium importance, 4 – important, 5 key) – data for the IT sector
• Table 5. Key competences in the context of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which will decrease most in the next 12 months
• Table 6. Key competences in the context of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic – now and over the next 12 months
• Table 7. Do you think there are currently professionals on the labour market with the above mentioned competences? summary data for ‘strongly yes’ + ‘fairly yes’ for the first and second rounds of the study

Table of Figures

• Figure 1. How long does your company operate on the market?
• Figure 2. How long is your company active in the sector?
• Figure 3. How many employees are employed in your company, regardless of the type of contract or form of employment?
• Figure 4. Is your company…
• Figure 5. During the pandemic period (March 2020 to date), has the total number of employees employed in your company decreased, increased or remained at the same level?
• Figure 6. In your opinion, will the total number of employees employed by your company decrease, increase or stay at the same level over the next 12 months?
• Figure 7. How important are the different areas of tasks for the company’s operations today (scoring from 1 to 5, where 1 means: not relevant, 2 – low importance, 3 – medium importance, 4 – high, 5 critical).
• Figure 8. Is the pandemic currently affecting the functioning of your company?
• Figure 9. Is the pandemic currently affecting the need to change staff competences?
• Figure 10. To what extent does the pandemic situation affect the need to change the skills of workers?
• Figure 11. How do you think the pandemic and its consequences will affect your company’s competence needs in the next 12 months?
• Figure 12. Please indicate how your company currently acquires the necessary competences?
• Figure 13. Do you think there are currently professionals on the labour market with the above mentioned competences?
• Figure 14. Please state whether you consider that changes to the education system should now be introduced in view of the pandemic situation and its projected effects?
• Figure 15. Should the following actions now be introduced in the education system?
• Figure 16. Please tell us how do you rate your company’s current cooperation with schools/universities?
• Figure 17. What are the forms of cooperation between your company and schools/universities?
• Figure 18. Would you like your cooperation with schools/universities to be deepened?
• Figure 19. Could you indicate the benefits of your company’s cooperation with schools/universities?
• Figure 20. In your opinion, what are the barriers for companies from your industry to cooperate with schools/universities?
• Figure 21. Has your company been prompted by the pandemic period to invest due to the specificities of this period, i.e. changing its business model and increasing demand for ICT solutions?
• Figure 22. Please indicate which of the areas were invested in your company during the pandemic.
• Figure 23. Did the pandemic period, due to the increased demand for ICT solutions, in your view contribute to the development of the industry?
• Figure 24. Have the investments in your company contributed to changing the employment structure during the pandemic?
• Figure 25. Have the investments in your company changed strategic areas of competence in your company?

Footnotes

• [1] The average has been calculated on the basis of a scale from 1 to 5, where 1 means “not/will not be relevant” and 5 means “are/will be of key importance”.
• [2] Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Situation Report –51, https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/situation-reports/20200311-sitrep-51-covid-19.pdf?sfvrsn=1ba62e57_10 (access: 01.07.2021).
• [3] Economy and jobs during the coronavirus pandemic, https://ec.europa.eu/info/live-work-travel-eu/coronavirus-response/jobs-and-economy-during-coronavirus-pandemic_pl, (access: 01.07.2021).
• [4] The average has been calculated on the basis of a scale from 1 to 5, where 1 means “not/will not be relevant” and 5 means “are/will be of key importance”.

Third PART Competence
needs in the context of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic

Report on the study on anti-video measures in the Telecommunications and Cybersecurity sector

EDITION II

SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

Company characteristics

In the second edition of the survey, companies with PKD 61.10, i.e. cable telecommunications companies, had the largest representation (51 %).

52 % of companies in the TCB sector have been active in the labour market for 10 to 15 years, less than 10 years old (26 %) and over 15 years (22 %).

According to the methodological assumptions, small, medium-sized and large firms were overrepresented in the population in the sample. Thus, micro-companies, employing between 1 and 9 people, represented 33 % of all companies in the TCB sector.

Almost all TCB surveyed firms are independent and independent (97 %), a negligible percentage operates as one of the branches of a larger company (2 %) or is the head office of a multi-branch (1 %) or franchise (1 %).

Employers in the TCB sector are unlikely to plan changes in staff employment over the next 12 months (75 % for replies: “employment will remain at the same level”). Currently, the most important area of tasks for the companies surveyed in the TCB sector is to maintain business continuity (80 %: sum of the answers “high importance” and “key importance”).

Changes in competences due to the pandemic situation

The pandemic is currently affecting the functioning of 37 % of companies in the TCB sector. A quarter of respondents consider that the pandemic situation is currently affecting the need to change the skills of workers, although 47 % consider that the extent of such changes is moderate. Most respondents (67 %) believe that the pandemic and its consequences will not change anything in terms of competence needs in their companies in the next 12 months.

Skills and competences needed to deal with pandemic and post-pandemic situations

The most important at present is the competences related to system integration (average: 3.99^[1]) as well as competence in risk analysis in a volatile, unstable working and business environment (average: 3,98). On the other hand, over the next 12 months, the key competences will be: system integration (medium: 4.0) and information management (average: 3,97).

Almost all representatives of TCB companies (95 %) reported that their companies are acquiring the necessary skills through the maintenance, training and retraining of their own employees. 74 % of the skills needed are also achieved by attracting experienced professionals from the labour market and for more than half (54 %) by recruiting young professionals/university graduates and preparing them for business tasks. The TCB sector has a relatively high percentage of acquisition of the necessary competences through cooperation with schools/universities (42 %).

The competences considered to be most easily accessible (as there are workers with them on the market) are: system integration (78 % for combined answers ‘strongly yes’ and ‘rather yes’), design, implementation, administration and safeguarding of cloud solutions and data migration to cloud (75 %), implementation, configuration, administration and safeguarding of e-learning platforms (73 %), risk analysis in a volatile and volatile working and business environment (72 %) and software development, development and management (72 %).

Expectations of the education system

The vast majority of respondents (68 %) consider that there is no need for change in the education system. Only 14 % of respondents see the need for change and consider that it should be done as soon as possible, and 18 % say that it is difficult to answer this question, it is worth waiting to stabilise the situation and to detect a steady trend. As many as 68 % of respondents think it is worth increasing the number of (remote) trainings and courses for workers in the industry. Few fewer people also mentioned the availability of funds for retraining workers (64 %) and the updating and adaptation of education programmes in studies (56 %) and secondary schools (54 %).

The TCB sector has a relatively high percentage of acquisition of the necessary competences through cooperation with schools/universities.

Investment and development

A large majority of respondents (81 %) replied that the pandemic period did not induce their company to invest due to the specificities of this period. One in five surveys (19 %) believes that the pandemic period, due to the increased demand for ICT solutions, has contributed to the development of the industry.

INTRODUCTION

The COVID-19 pandemic, which has been facing the world since 11 March 2020^[1]continues to have a huge impact on society’s lives, health and behaviour. It has forced the government to make many legislative changes, often sudden and restrictive, which have had and continue to have a major impact on the economy. The economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis varies across sectors and companies and depends on a number of factors, i.e. adaptability to supply chain disruptions and whether the components are stored or whether the sector operates on the basis of ‘exact time’ production^[3]. The pandemic and the related quarantine have forced companies to seek solutions to operate and cooperate (both at intra-company level and in contact with customers, subcontractors and suppliers) remotely. This has been a huge challenge both for companies trying to keep on the market in uncertain times of the pandemic and for the Telecommunications and Cybersecurity (TCB) sector, which seeks to meet unprecedented demand for services. The scale and pace of change has forced the TCB sector to develop new, effective solutions to enable companies to operate safely in many sectors during the pandemic. Many of the solutions available, such as the widespread online meetings, have been in line with business standards and will be widely used even after the end of the pandemic.

The aim of this study is to identify important areas of responsibility for industry companies today, to identify skills changes caused by the pandemic and to identify skills needs revealed by the pandemic and its projected effects. The objectives of the study shall also be to: to verify what skills companies need to operate in reality as a result of COVID-19 and to assess the cooperation between industry companies and schools/universities. In addition, the implementation of the study has allowed to deepen the theme of business investment resulting from the pandemic.

The results of the study will serve as a basis for building scenarios for future training, education and advisory activities in order to provide the skills and competences needed to ensure the smooth functioning of business in the face of existing disruptions and the projected impact of the pandemic. The result of the study will be to determine whether and what competences have proven to be necessary and which are lacking or will be lacking in the near term, in the context of the expected consequences of the pandemic on the TCB sector.

TEST METHODOLOGY

Test Editions

The study is divided into two editions. The research tools for each edition were slightly different, but leaving some questions unchanged made it possible to compare the results obtained in each edition. The deadlines for implementation of each part of the study are given below:

• And Edition: June 2021
• Second edition: February/March 2022

Respondents

The material scope of the survey required the respondent to have a broad knowledge of the company, both in the context of the company’s situation, strategy and skills desired and possessed by the employees. As a result, people in charge of work organisation, job planning and recruitment processes in companies participated in the survey. The participants in the survey were those who were best placed to meet the skills needs of the enterprises.

Among the people with the greatest knowledge of the company’s personnel policy, including in particular recruitment activities, assessment of employee competences and skills gaps, were:

• owners, co-owners,
• Governors, Vice-Presidents,
• managing directors,
• HR and HR Directors, HR specialists,
• the heads/managers of units responsible for the implementation of the main business processes in companies.

The participants in the survey were those who were best placed to meet the skills needs of the enterprises.

They have detailed knowledge of the need for skills in the sector. This is due to their experience, length of service in the sector, career paths within the company and good knowledge of the company’s organisational culture. They are also able to assess the match between supply and demand for skills. Each interview was preceded by a block of questions (screener) to verify whether the company meets the criteria to participate in the survey and whether the respondent has the necessary knowledge to respond to the questionnaire.

Source: In-house study

Test sample

The survey covered representatives of micro, small, medium and large companies in the TCB sector. The criterion of ensuring the representativeness of survey participants from individual enterprise groups (small, medium, large) was the number of employees:

• small enterprises employing between 1 and 49 people (the tables break down into two groups: 1-9 and 10-49),
• medium-sized enterprises with 50 to 249 employees,
• large enterprises employing 250 people and more.

According to the assumptions, at least 125 interviews with companies in the TCB sector should have been carried out in each round of research.

The survey uses a quota selection allowing for interviews with employees in the sector, as well as of all sizes. Over-representation of companies with more than 9 employees was used.

In the end, 125 interviews with companies in the TCB sector were carried out. Table 1 shows the breakdown by company size measured by the number of employees employed.

Test technique

The main testing technique used in the study was CAWI. Computer Assisted Web Interview), a computer-assisted web interview. In case of difficulties in closing/completing the CAWI survey, interviews were carried out with the support of surveyors with the agreement of the Contracting Authority.

Description of the organisation of the study

The survey’s procedure to reach respondents was based on data from the company frame. In order to maximise the effectiveness of reaching out to respondents, a several-step contact procedure is foreseen.

As a first step, an invitation to participate in the survey was sent by e-mail to the addresses of the companies. The invitation contained information on the objectives of the study and a request for authorisation to participate. A letter of recommendation signed by the Polish Society of Information Technology has also been prepared, which has raised the credibility of the study and thus increased the chance of a smooth implementation of the study. A letter of recommendation was sent to potential respondents together with the invitations to participate in the survey.

The invitation to participate in the study included:

• to whom the message is addressed (the respondent’s characteristics),
• purpose of the study,
• the name of the Contractor and the Contracting Authority,
• emphasising the authority of the Contracting Authority,
• emphasising the objective of the study as socially useful,
• information on anonymity and voluntary participation,
• the deadline for implementation.

Links to the CAWI survey were sent with the invitation to take part in the survey. Each of the links was allocated individually, allowing the respondent to interrupt the survey during the survey and return to it at an convenient moment. The individual links made it possible to verify in which specific companies did not fill in the survey and on this basis further steps could be taken to ensure a smooth implementation, e.g. 3 e-mail reminders were sent to these companies and were recruited by telephone. The purpose of the telephone recruitment by experienced recreuters was to:

• verification that the respondent received the message with the invitation;
• possible update of the data and re-submission of the invitation to the study,
• request to participate in the study with a valid argumentation.

Test control

The process of carrying out online surveys was carried out in accordance with the testing standards of the CAWI PKJPA. A non-field inspection was carried out, covering 100 % of the material. Its objective was to capture through statistical methods the logical inconsistency and misstatement of the respondent’s answers, which might have suggested incorrect completion of the survey. The non-terrene check shall consist of a check of:

• correctness of the times and between times – verification of the duration of interviews (in justified cases also individual question blocks or even individual questions) and between times,
• consistency of the response profile,
• quality of answers – frequency of ambivalent answers or so-called “special values” such as “difficult to say” or refusal of answers;
• consistency with external data -comparison of information gathered during the interview with information known to surveyors from other sources;
• logical consistency – the data collected is checked on the consequences in the application of filters and on the logical consistency of the answers to the questionnaire;
• correct recording of (half) open questions – the role of the researcher is to check whether the answers appearing in the “other” option do not appear in the cafeteria proposed in the question. This avoids inaccuracies and increases the reliability of the data.

COMPANY CHARACTERISTICS

The largest representation of companies in the survey was the companies with wired telecommunications activities (51 %), while the smallest group of companies represented by the surveyed companies were satellite telecommunications companies (7 %). Detailed information on the structure of the interviews carried out is presented in Table 2.

Source: In-house study

More than half of the companies in the TCB sector have been operating on the market for 10 to 15 years (52 %). Almost one in four companies operate on the market under 10 years (26 %). Among the shortest-term companies, the smallest group was large, employing 250 or more employees (17 % of this group of companies). The smallest firms surveyed were those over 15 years old (22 %). Figure 1 shows data on the length of TCB’s activity on the market.

One in two, the length of its business in the sector, indicated a period of between 10 and 15 years (50 %). The smallest group of companies surveyed in the TCB sector were those active in the sector over 15 years (23 %). Figure 2 shows data on the length of activity of TCB firms in the sector.

One in two companies surveyed in the TCB sector employs between 10 and 49 employees (50 %). One in three companies is a micro-enterprise that employs between 1 and 9 employees (33 %). The smallest groups of enterprises in terms of employment were firms with between 50 and 249 employees (12 %) and 250 and more employees (6 %). See Figure 3 for details.

The vast majority of firms are independent and independent (97 %). Among the entities surveyed were also companies which were branches of a larger company (2 %). The smallest group consisted of companies with the head office of a multi-branch company (1 %) and those operating in franchise (1 %). These figures are shown in Graph No 4.

FIGURE 1. How long does your company operate on the market?

Source: in-house study

FIGURE 2. How long is your company active in the sector?

Source: in-house study

FIGURE 3. How many employees are employed in your company, regardless of the type of contract or form of employment?

Source: in-house study

FIGURE 4. Is your company…

Source: in-house study

During the pandemic period (March 2020 to date), in the vast majority of firms the total number of employees remained stable (85 %), especially in micro-companies, with up to 9 employees (93 %). A compilation of the data from the first and second editions of the survey shows a similar distribution of respondents’ responses. In both editions of the survey, the employment structure was most commonly described as stable during the pandemic, but in the 2nd edition there is a decrease in the number of indications of this response (first edition: 89 %, 2nd edition: 85 %). In the second edition of the survey, one in ten surveys pointed to a decrease in the number of employees employed by TCB during the pandemic, which represents a significant increase compared to the first edition (first edition: 5 %, 2nd edition: 10 %) In addition, the second edition of the survey recorded a slightly smaller proportion of responses indicating an increase in the number of employees during the pandemic period (first edition: 5 %, 2nd edition: 3 %) See Figure 5 for details.

FIGURE 5. During the pandemic period (March 2020 to date), has the total number of employees employed in your company decreased, increased or remained at the same level?

Source: in-house study

In both editions of the survey, respondents reported the highest number of jobs remaining at the same level over the next 12 months (First edition: 65 %, 2nd edition: 75 %) At the same time, in the second edition there is an increase in employment forecasts geared towards stabilising employment over the next 12 months (by 10 pp.). This answer was most frequently mentioned by respondents from the group of micro-enterprises (88 %). In addition, the results of the second edition show a decrease in the number of employees in companies over the coming year (First edition: 7 %, 2nd edition: 3 %) Figures for the forecast employment forecasts for the next 12 months are presented in Graph 6.

FIGURE 6. In your opinion, will the total number of employees employed by your company decrease, increase or stay at the same level over the next 12 months?

Source: in-house study

The results of the study indicate that each of these areas is important for the operation of companies in the TCB sector. Maintaining business continuity is now the most important task for companies to operate (80 %: for the combined answers: “high importance” + “key importance”). Equally often, the importance for the functioning of a firm has been identified as being significant or crucial in the case of: ensure the security of data, applications and networks (connections) in relation to the introduction of remote working, remote customer service and the provision of services at a distance (75 %) and provide adequate technical resources for emerging tasks (74 %). The organisation of teleworking in the company is currently the lowest assessed (62 % for “key importance” and “high importance”). Detailed data on the validity of all activity areas are now shown in Figure 7.

FIGURE 7. How important are the different areas of tasks for the company’s operations today (scoring from 1 to 5, where 1 means: not relevant, 2 – low importance, 3 – medium importance, 4 – high, 5 critical).

Source: in-house study

Comparing the results of the second edition of the survey with the results of the first edition, it is noticeable in the TCB sector that business continuity is still a key or important area for the functioning of TCB companies (first edition: 62 %, 2nd edition: 80 % for “key importance” and “high importance” combined). At the same time, the results of the second edition show that the importance of each of the separate business areas has increased. The details are set out in Table 3.

* The arrows up show a higher percentage of the sum of the answers “strongly yes” and “fairly yes” compared to the first edition of the survey.
Source: in-house study

The results of the second edition show that the importance of each of the separate business areas has increased.

Taking into account the average responses from each business area, the highest value is to maintain business continuity (average 4.09). The answer indicating the organisation of remote work in the company as a significant area for the operation of the company reached the lowest average (average 3.70). See Table 4 for details.

Source: in-house study

CHANGES IN COMPETENCES IN THE PANDEMIC SITUATION

The pandemic period was sometimes challenging and uncertain for many companies, including for those operating in the TCB sector. More than half of the respondents indicated that the pandemic currently has no impact on the functioning of their companies (62 %). In contrast, 37 % of respondents in the TCB sector indicated such an impact. Data on the current impact of the pandemic on the functioning of firms in the TCB sector are shown in Figure 8.

70 % of respondents believe that the pandemic does not currently affect the need to change workers’ competences. At the same time, almost one in four respondents consider that the need to change workers’ competences as a result of the pandemic is still valid (26 %). Figures on the current impact of the pandemic on the need to change workers’ competences are presented in Figure 9.

Almost half of those surveyed point to a moderate extent of the impact of the pandemic on the need to change staff competences (47 %). A quarter of respondents highlight the large extent of this impact, while 3 % identify it as very large. 22 % of respondents point to the low impact of the pandemic situation on the need to change workers’ competences. The details of the answer to this question are presented in Figure 10.

The vast majority of respondents from the TCB sector consider that, as a result of the pandemic and its consequences, nothing will change in terms of competence needs in their companies over the next 12 months (67 %). 6 % of respondents from the sector point to a need for new competences over the next 12 months, resulting from the pandemic and its consequences. Detailed data on the opinions surveyed in the TCB sector are shown in Graph 11.

FIGURE 8. Is the pandemic currently affecting the functioning of your company?

Source: in-house study

FIGURE 9. Is the pandemic currently affecting the need to change staff competences?

Source: in-house study

FIGURE 10. To what extent does the pandemic situation affect the need to change the skills of workers?

Source: in-house study

FIGURE 11. How do you think the pandemic and its consequences will affect your company’s competence needs in the next 12 months?

Source: in-house study

SKILLS AND COMPETENCES NEEDED TO DEAL WITH PANDEMIC AND POST-PANDEMIC SITUATIONS

Regardless of the title of the post, the performance of professional roles and tasks requires a certain level of specialised competence. The survey presented to respondents a list of selected key competences in the context of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Respondents were asked to comment on these competences and to identify the importance of these competences in their company at the moment and how important they would be in the next 12 months.

All of these competences have proven to be important or crucial for at least 60 % of the TCB sectors surveyed. The most important at present is the competences related to system integration (average: 3.99^[4]), risk analysis in a volatile, unstable working and business environment (average: 3,98), information management (average: 3.94) and data analysis and use to support decisions (average: 3,93). Currently, the automation and robotisation of processes is the least important (average: 3,69), management of the digitisation process (average: (3.72) and crisis management (average: 3,73). The details are shown in Table 6.

In the coming 12 months, system integration will be of utmost importance (average: 4.00), information management (average: 3.97) and maintenance and development of ICT infrastructure (average: 3,95). The least important competences in the next 12 months are automation and robotisation of processes (average: (3.60) and the management of the digitisation process (average: 3,63). The details are shown in Table 6. The biggest difference in the assessment of the importance of key competences today over the next 12 months has been observed for risk analysis in a volatile working and business environment. The greatest differences in the current assessment and the assessment over the next 12 months are shown in Table 5.

In Table 6, arrows indicate an increase in the average assessment of the importance of key competences compared to the first series of the survey. All these key competences in both timeframes are/will be more relevant than in Series I.

The results of the TCB’s current, key or high relevance competencies varied significantly between the first and second editions of the survey. It is noticeable that in the first edition the most commonly referred to as being critical or important for the activities of firms in the TCB sector were remote work-oriented competences and all processes associated with it. On the other hand, the results of the second edition indicate competences that are of key or high importance mainly in systems and software. Among the competences with a significant increase in importance for the TCB company over the two editions carried out, the competences for system integration are included (first edition: 53 %, 2nd edition: 79 %) and software development, development and management (First edition: 53 %, 2nd edition: 73 %). When comparing the results of the second edition of the survey with its previous series, an increase in the number of indications for the “key” response can be observed for all specified competences.

Source: in-house study

* Upward arrows indicate a higher average assessment of individual key competences compared to the first edition of the survey.
Source: in-house study

Looking at the share of indications of competences that will be crucial or important in the next 12 months, respondents in the second edition of the survey are much more likely than in the first edition of the survey to refer to competences focused on system integration (first edition: 58 %, 2nd edition: 77 %) In addition, in the second edition of the study, there is an increase in the number of indications for the ‘key’ response for all the competences specified.

The vast majority of the companies surveyed acquire the necessary skills by maintaining, training or retraining their own employees (95 %). The share of this response remains stable over the two editions carried out. Respondents also point to the acquisition of experienced professionals (74 %) and the recruitment of young professionals or university graduates to prepare them for business-to-business tasks (54 %) as ways to acquire the necessary competences. In the second edition of the survey, there was an increase both in terms of attracting experienced professionals (by 12 pp.) and graduates (by 7 pps) and offering internships or apprenticeships (by 13 pp.). Detailed data on how to acquire competence is shown in Graph No 12.

The vast majority of the companies surveyed acquire the necessary skills by maintaining, training or retraining their own employees.

FIGURE 12. Please indicate how your company currently acquires the necessary competences?

Source: in-house study

ASSESSMENT OF THE AVAILABILITY OF PROFESSIONALS ON THE LABOUR MARKET

The results of the survey show that there are professionals in the labour market with a minimum of 60 % of respondents answering “fairly yes” or “strongly yes” for each competency. The competences considered to be most easily accessible (as there are workers with them on the market) are: system integration (78 % of indications for combined answers ‘strongly yes’ and ‘rather yes’), design, implementation, administration and safeguarding of cloud solutions and data migration to cloud (75 %), implementation, configuration, administration and security of e-learning platforms (73 %), analysis of risks in a volatile and volatile working and business environment (72 %) and software development, development and management (72 %).

The competence associated with the smallest availability of professionals is to organise remote and hybrid work in the company and to ensure the security of electronic communication channels, including proper verification of the identity of the parties to the communication, although it should be mentioned that at least 60 % of respondents still consider that this is the competence of workers in the labour market. Data for all these competences are shown in Figure 13.

Although respondents consider that currently there are specialists with these competences in the labour market, it is worth noting that in the second edition of the survey, the percentages confirming this opinion are slightly lower than in the first edition. The largest difference in data relates to process automation and robotisation. In the first edition of the survey, as many as 83 % of respondents said that there were professionals with such skills on the labour market, while in the second round of the survey this percentage fell to 62 %. A detailed comparison of the results for the two test waves is presented in Table 7.

The competence associated with the smallest availability of specialists is the organisation of remote and hybrid work in the company and the security of electronic communication channels.

FIGURE 13. Do you think there are currently professionals on the labour market with the above mentioned competences?

Source: in-house study

* The arrows show a lower percentage of the sum of the answers “strongly yes” and “fairly yes” compared to the first edition of the survey.
Source: in-house study

EXPECTATIONS OF THE EDUCATION SYSTEM

The vast majority of respondents from the TCB sector consider that changes to the education system (68 %) should be introduced in view of the pandemic situation and its projected effects. Only 14 % of respondents indicate that such changes should be made as soon as possible. Almost one in five respondents were unable to express their views on the need for changes in the education system and considered it worthwhile to wait for the stabilisation of the situation and to detect steady trends. The data described are shown in Figure 14.

FIGURE 14. Please state whether you consider that changes to the education system should now be introduced in view of the pandemic situation and its projected effects?

Source: in-house study

68 % of respondents consider it worthwhile now to increase the number of remote trainings and courses for workers in the industry. Many of the proposals for action mentioned by the respondents are to make resources available for retraining workers (64 % in total for the answer ‘strongly yes’ and ‘fairly yes’). Researchers from the TCB sector are the least likely to report on updating and adapting secondary education programmes (54 %). Graph 15 provides data for all responses concerning the implementation of changes in the education system.

FIGURE 15. Should the following actions now be introduced in the education system?

Source: in-house study

More than 70 % of respondents assess at least well the current cooperation of their company with schools or universities (total score for ‘very good’ and ‘well’). 11 % of respondents do not clearly assess the current cooperation with educational units, and only 4 % of respondents think this cooperation is badly or very badly. These data are shown in Graph No 16.

FIGURE 16. Please tell us how do you rate your company’s current cooperation with schools/universities?

Source: in-house study

As a reason for the lack of cooperation with schools or universities, TCB surveyed companies most often cited the lack of need (41 %). On the other hand, the companies that carried out such cooperation were most likely to declare the participation of company representatives in meetings at school or university in order to show the specific nature of work in the industry (40 %) and to offer practical courses and internships for students (39 %). The latter was the most widely used form of cooperation between a company and schools or universities in medium-sized enterprises (70 % of this group of companies). Students were also heavily involved in writing professional Masters for business purposes (32 %) and joint projects with schools or universities (26 %). The least used way of cooperation was the access offered by schools or universities to their resources (10 %). Detailed data on the forms of cooperation with schools or universities can be found in Graph 17.

FIGURE 17. What are the forms of cooperation between your company and schools/universities?

Source: in-house study

Of the companies surveyed in the TCB sector, 47 % think they want to deepen their cooperation with schools or universities. At the same time, 29 % of respondents from the TCB sector are not willing to deepen their cooperation with educational units. Detailed information on the desire to deepen cooperation with universities can be found in Figure 18.

FIGURE 18. Would you like your cooperation with schools/universities to be deepened?

Source: in-house study

Almost half of the companies surveyed in the TCB sector were most likely to point to an increase in the company’s competitiveness (48 %) as a benefit of the company’s cooperation with universities. Access to new knowledge (34 %) and extension of areas of competence (32 %) were also frequently mentioned. The reduction of skills gaps in the company (16 %) and the development of skills of workers entering the labour market (23 %) were the least mentioned. Detailed data are shown in Graph 19.

FIGURE 19. Could you indicate the benefits of your company’s cooperation with schools/universities?

Source: in-house study

Almost a third of respondents identified excessive formalisation and procedures in schools or universities as the biggest barrier for companies in the TCB sector to cooperate with schools or universities (31 %). Other of the many barriers identified were: reluctance of scientists to cooperate with business representatives (19 %), lack of time to engage in additional activity by either side (18 %) and lack of flexibility and adaptation of the scientific world to the requirements of the market in the industry (18 %). The least perceived obstacle in the TCB sector was the unattractive conditions for cooperation (10 %). Detailed data on barriers to cooperation between companies in the TCB sector and schools or universities are presented in Figure 20.

FIGURE 20. In your opinion, what are the barriers for companies from your industry to cooperate with schools/universities?

Source: in-house study

INVESTMENT AND DEVELOPMENT

Due to its specificities, the pandemic contributed to changes in the business model and increased demand for ICT solutions, which contributed to a greater propensity to invest in enterprises. 16 % of respondents from the TCB sector report this kind of impact of the pandemic in their activities. The vast majority of respondents believe that the pandemic period has not prompted their company to invest (81 %). These figures are shown in Graph No 21.

The vast majority of companies that have invested in their activities during the pandemic indicated the implementation of remote working as the area to be invested (75 %). They also referred to ensuring business continuity (55 %), increasing the level of cybersecurity (45 %) and automation and robotisation of processes (45 %). These data are shown in Figure 22.

One in five TCB surveys agrees that the pandemic period, due to the increased demand for ICT solutions, contributed to the development of the industry (19 %).

Half of the companies surveyed with investment activities consider that they did not contribute to changes in the employment structure during the pandemic (50 %). In contrast, 35 % of respondents notice the impact of the investments carried out during the pandemic period on employment in TCB companies. These data are shown in Figure 24. A small number of companies (N=7), where the employment structure has changed, have indicated an increase in the number of cybersecurity developers and specialists. On the other hand, the number of data managers and database administrators, project management specialists and specialists responsible for the technical service and cooperation with clients decreased.

One in five TCB surveys agrees that the pandemic period, due to the increased demand for ICT solutions, contributed to the development of the industry.

More than half of respondents believe that the investments made have not contributed to changes in the company’s strategic areas of competence (55 %). Only 35 % of respondents believe that these investments have contributed to changing the strategic areas of competence in the company. One in ten respondents did not have the capacity to answer this question. These data are shown in Figure 25.

FIGURE 21. Has your company been prompted by the pandemic period to invest due to the specificities of this period, i.e. changing its business model and increasing demand for ICT solutions?

Source: in-house study

FIGURE 22. Please indicate which of the areas were invested in your company during the pandemic.

Source: in-house study

FIGURE 23. Did the pandemic period, due to the increased demand for ICT solutions, in your view contribute to the development of the industry?

Source: in-house study

FIGURE 24. Whether the investments in your company contributed to changing the employment structure during the pandemic.

Source: in-house study

FIGURE 25. Have the investments in your company changed strategic areas of competence in your company?

Source: in-house study

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The second edition of the quantitative survey led to the following conclusions and recommendations for TCB companies:

1. While entrepreneurs are no longer as uncertain as in the first edition of the survey (a 5 pps decrease in the proportion of answers “hard to say”), a still relatively large proportion of respondents find it difficult to answer the question of whether the total number of employees in a company will decrease, increase or stay at the same level over the next 12 months. Although the level of employment in the TCB sector is stable (taking into account also other areas of the economy), it is useful for firms to maintain/create contingency management plans that foresee different employment situations (e.g. planning possible solutions in case of large-scale reduction or increase of employment).
2. At present, the most important areas of responsibility for the functioning of a company are: maintaining business continuity and ensuring adequate technical resources to carry out emerging tasks and aligning actions with regulation. It is useful to target the company’s activities in these areas of work and, if necessary, to provide staff with adequate training to improve their competences in the areas described.
3. As many as 26 % of respondents do not know how the pandemic and its consequences will affect the skills needs of companies in the next 12 months. Knowledge of competence needs, especially in such a short term, is crucial for the development of the company, and it is therefore recommended to carry out cyclical studies of competence needs, including an inventory of competences.
4. In the coming 12 months, the key competences will be: system integration and information management. Changes in the company’s most important competencies are quite dynamic. In this regard, the relevance of the competences concerned should be systematically reviewed in the future (e.g. through the aforementioned competency assessment) and on the basis of such an analysis, the necessary training for employees should be planned.All recommendations on the need for training support the fact that almost all TCB companies surveyed acquire the necessary competences mainly by maintaining, training and retraining their own employees, slightly less often by attracting experienced professionals and recruiting new people for training and by working with schools/universities. especially in such a short term, it is crucial for the development of the company, and it is therefore recommended to carry out cyclical research on skills needs, including an inventory of competences.
5. Only 14 % of respondents believe that changes to the education system should already be introduced in view of the pandemic situation and its predicted effects. However, the vast majority (68 %) are of the opinion that there is no need for such changes. 18 % of respondents are unable to address this issue and say that it is important to wait until the situation is stabilised and to detect a steady trend. According to most respondents, the number of (remote) training and courses for workers in the industry should already be increased, resources should be made available for retraining workers, and education programmes should be updated and adapted in secondary and secondary schools.
6. Almost half of the respondents whose companies cooperate with schools/universities would like this cooperation to be deepened. Respondents see a lot of benefits in terms of joint action, including increasing the company’s competitiveness, access to the latest knowledge and expanding the company’s areas of competence. Entrepreneurs, when talking about barriers to cooperation between companies and schools/universities, most often pointed to excessive formalisation and procedures in schools/universities. In particular, it would be useful to disseminate information on the benefits of joint work for both sides. The next step should be to reduce formalisation and procedures in schools/universities and to simplify the start of cooperation between actors.

LIST OF TABLES AND GRAPHS

List of tables

• Table 1. Interviews carried out – breakdown by sector and company size
• Table 2. Please indicate the main type of activity (type of activity from which your company derives the highest revenues).
• Table 3. How important are the different areas of responsibility for the company’s operations today – aggregated data (key sum + important) for all surveyers from the first and second rounds of the study
• Table 4. How important are the different areas of tasks for the company’s operations today (scoring from 1 to 5, where 1 means: not relevant, 2 – low importance, 3 – medium importance, 4 – important, 5 – key) – data for the TCB sector
• Table 5. Key competences in the context of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which will decrease most in the next 12 months
• Table 6. Key competences in the context of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic – now and over the next 12 months
• Table 7. Do you think there are currently professionals on the labour market with the above mentioned competences? summary data for ‘strongly yes’ + ‘fairly yes’ for the first and second rounds of the study

Table of Figures

• Figure 1. How long does your company operate on the market?
• Figure 2. How long is your company active in the sector?
• Figure 3. How many employees are employed in your company, regardless of the type of contract or form of employment?
• Figure 4. Is your company…
• Figure 5. During the pandemic period (March 2020 to date), has the total number of employees employed in your company decreased, increased or remained at the same level?
• Figure 6. In your opinion, will the total number of employees employed by your company decrease, increase or stay at the same level over the next 12 months?
• Figure 7. How important are the different areas of tasks for the company’s operations today (scoring from 1 to 5, where 1 means: not relevant, 2 – low importance, 3 – medium importance, 4 – high, 5 critical).
• Figure 8. Is the pandemic currently affecting the functioning of your company?
• Figure 9. Is the pandemic currently affecting the need to change staff competences?
• Figure 10. To what extent does the pandemic situation affect the need to change the skills of workers?
• Figure 11. How do you think the pandemic and its consequences will affect your company’s competence needs in the next 12 months?
• Figure 12. Please indicate how your company currently acquires the necessary competences?
• Figure 13. Do you think there are currently professionals on the labour market with the above mentioned competences?
• Figure 14. Please state whether you consider that changes to the education system should now be introduced in view of the pandemic situation and its projected effects?
• Figure 15. Should the following actions now be introduced in the education system?
• Figure 16. Please tell us how do you rate your company’s current cooperation with schools/universities?
• Figure 17. What are the forms of cooperation between your company and schools/universities?
• Figure 18. Would you like your cooperation with schools/universities to be deepened?
• Figure 19. Could you indicate the benefits of your company’s cooperation with schools/universities?
• Figure 20. In your opinion, what are the barriers for companies from your industry to cooperate with schools/universities?
• Figure 21. Has your company been prompted by the pandemic period to invest due to the specificities of this period, i.e. changing its business model and increasing demand for ICT solutions?
• Figure 22. Please indicate which of the areas were invested in your company during the pandemic.
• Figure 23. Did the pandemic period, due to the increased demand for ICT solutions, in your view contribute to the development of the industry?
• Figure 24. Whether the investments in your company contributed to changing the employment structure during the pandemic.
• Figure 25. Have the investments in your company changed strategic areas of competence in your company?

Footnotes

• [1] The average has been calculated on the basis of a scale from 1 to 5, where 1 means “not/will not be relevant” and 5 means “are/will be of key importance”.
• [2] Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Situation Report –51, https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/situation-reports/20200311-sitrep-51-covid-19.pdf?sfvrsn=1ba62e57_10 (access: 01.07.2021).
• [3] The economy and jobs during the coronavirus pandemic, https://ec.europa.eu/info/live-work-travel-eu/coronavirus-response/jobs-and-economy-during-coronavirus-pandemic_pl (access: 01.07.2021).
• [4] The average has been calculated on the basis of a scale from 1 to 5, where 1 means “not/will not be relevant” and 5 means “are/will be of key importance”.

Sectoral Board Competences –
Sectoral IT Board Competences – Telecommunications and Cybersecurity

The aim of the Sectoral Councils is to best adapt the education system to the demands of employers so that those taking up jobs have the skills actually sought. By developing common competence standards for workers in the different sectors of the Council, they aim to best adapt educational processes to the needs and challenges of a rapidly changing labour market.

Action

Responding to the rapidly changing demand for specific competences and qualifications in sectors is the impact on the education system, both formal and non-formal, by recommending changes in the choice of the content of education to take account of the latest scientific developments, technological developments and labour market developments. The promotion of international experiences and practices serves to transfer best practices in education programmes and to respond effectively to the needs of particular groups of professionals.

Members

The Councils are composed of representatives of employers, labour market institutions, sectoral organisations and social dialogue, universities, secondary schools and lifelong learning centres.

Board members represent all stakeholders in the IT and TCB sectors and provide opportunities to reach different backgrounds, both in business and education. Within the Councils, there are substantive Committees carrying out its objectives and tasks in relation to, inter alia:

• analysis and research of skills gaps,
• the education and training system,
• legislative solutions,
• the development and certification of sectoral competences.

Sectoral Board Competences – Computing and Sectoral Council The competences of Telecommunications and Cybersecurity are components of the Boards System. Competences. They are run by the Polskie Towarzystwo Informatyczne (Project Leader) and the Polish Chamber of Information Technology and Telecommunications (Partner of the Project).

Sectoral Board Competences – Computing

By initiating and participating in actions related to competence needs in the field of IT, the Sectoral Board. Competences – Computing helps to harmonise the provision of education with the labour market of the IT sector.

Tasks for Council

Sectoral Board Skills – Computer helps to adapt the educational offer to current labour market requirements in the sector, inter alia by:

• recommending solutions/legislative changes in the field of education and adapting it to the needs of the labour market in the sector;
• cooperation on education agreements aimed at integrating education and employers;
• identifying and commissioning research areas relating to sector competence;
• identification of the need to update the Sectoral Qualification Framework and to create individual qualifications;
• providing information on the need for skills to educational institutions, labour market institutions, including employment agencies and district employment offices, which should consequently increase the effectiveness of job placement and career guidance activities;
• providing information on the specific needs of the sector in the area of competence to the social partners who identify the development needs of companies in the sector;
• operation of measure 2.21 type 4 of the POWER (training or advice resulting from the recommendations of the Sectoral Councils for Competences), in particular developing and updating recommendations on the need for skills in the sector.

Initiatives

Council representatives participated in consultation meetings at the Ministry of Education and Science on ICT professions. They have been actively involved in the work on the programming bases of the professions of technicians and programmers. They consult each year the MEN’s ‘Prospections for labour needs in the professional education professions in the national and provincial labour markets’. Universities ask the Council for an opinion on the programmes for newly launched IT studies. The Council’s experts also give an opinion on applications for inclusion of qualifications in the Integrated Qualifications System (ZSK).

The Council is constantly working with the Jagiellonian University’s research team preparing the next editions of the largest nationwide survey of the IT sector and the Branch of the Human Capital Balance. The study aims to identify skills needs in companies, to assess the supply of skills from the education system and to identify trends in the IT sector that are crucial for the future of the labour market.

As part of the work of the Council working group, guidance has been drawn up on the orientations for updating the Sectoral Qualification Framework for the IT Sector (SRK-IT). Detailed recommendations for the new design of SRK-IT will be determined following expert analyses.

The Council is the organiser of the Education and Business Cooperation Forum EDUMIXER. During this annual conference, there is an exchange of experience between universities and potential IT employers. It is a showcase of the various forms of cooperation between education and business that the Council initiates, thus building a base of good practice.

Recommendations

Activities of the Sectoral Council for Competences – IT allows for comprehensive identification and forecasting of the professional and qualification needs of the IT sector in Poland. This facilitates the implementation of systemic projects that contribute to addressing key labour market problems.

Examples of systemic actions are recommendations issued by the Council. So far, the Sectoral Council for Competence – IT has issued three development recommendations concerning competence needs in the IT sector – two ordinary and one extraordinary, so-called “antivid” one.

The emergency recommendation to support training and advisory activities under the coronavirus pandemic included key competences for the functioning of the IT sector in the context of the COVID-19 outbreak. Among those identified by the Council were: the creation and development of cloud solutions; creation and development of big data analytics solutions; virtualisation of servers; cybersecurity governance; managing the circulation of electronic (text and multimedia) documents in remote working mode; organisation and management of remote work using available technologies and tools.

The ordinary recommendations, on the other hand, identify competences for which there is a constant need for the labour market in the IT sector. These are: the development and development of artificial intelligence solutions; the creation and development of cloud solutions; creation and development of big data analytics solutions; cybersecurity governance; design of IT systems; basic programming; advanced programming; application programming; programming of automation systems; software testing; administration of the local network; administration of the extensive network; virtualisation of servers; data modelling; programming of balloon applications; the administration of databases; project management; business negotiations; communication within the company; professional foreign languages (English, German, French, Russian).

Draft "Creation and functioning of the Board It Sector Competences’ is implemented under Priority Axis II. Effective public policies for the labour market, the economy and education – Measure 2.12 Increasing knowledge of qualification and professional needs in specific economic sectors of the Operational Programme Knowledge Education Development 2014-2020. Its value is PLN 2 510 096,07, including European co-financing PLN 2 115 508,97.

e-mail: Council.informatics@pti.org.pl
www.srit.radasektorowa.pl

Sectoral Board Competences – Telecommunications and Cybersecurity

Tasks for Council

Sectoral Board Telecommunications and Cybersecurity (TCB) competence initiates and participates in a wide range of activities related to telecommunications and cybersecurity competence.

Sectoral Board The competences of Telecommunications and Cybersecurity help to adapt the educational offer to the current labour market requirements of the sector, inter alia by:

• recommending solutions/legislative changes in the field of education and adapting it to the needs of the labour market in the sector;
• cooperation on education agreements aimed at integrating education and employers;
• identifying and commissioning research areas relating to sector competence;
• identification of the needs for updating the Sectoral Qualification Framework and the creation of individual qualifications;
• providing information on skills needs to educational institutions, labour market institutions, which should increase the effectiveness of job placement and career guidance activities;
• providing information on the specific needs of the sector in the area of competence to the social partners who identify the development needs of companies in the sector;
• operation of measure 2.21 type 4 of the POWER (training or advice resulting from the recommendations of the Sectoral Councils for Competences), in particular developing and updating recommendations on the need for skills in the sector.

Initiatives

The Education and Business Cooperation Forum EDUMIXER is organised at the interface between education and business in which the Council participates. The main objective of the conference is to develop proposals for changes in education programmes that take account of technological developments and labour market needs. The event also serves to exchange experiences and transfer best practices between the formal and non-formal education sector and between entrepreneurs and institutions.

The 4th Forum in 2020 had a remote format due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The programme discussed amendments to the National Cybersecurity System and Electronic Communications Act and their impact on qualifications. Issues related to the introduction of an external confirmation of qualifications and skills in the National Cybersecurity Certification System were raised. The workshop discussed competence needs related to 5G deployment and the cybersecurity of the Internet of Things.

The Fifth edition of the Forum was organised in 2021 on the theme ‘Digital transformation. A challenge for education, the labour market and entrepreneurs”. As last year, workshops on the TCB sector were also held.

Recommendations

The sectoral Council has so far issued two development recommendations – extraordinary, so-called ‘antivid’ and ‘ordinary’. The aim is to identify the most urgent skills needs in the telecommunications and cybersecurity sector.

The emergency recommendation concerns training and advisory support to combat the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. It includes competences related to: installing, configuring and securing remote working applications and tools, ensuring the security of electronic communication channels, migrating data to cloud solutions and securing databases.

The ordinary recommendation, on the other hand, contains specialist (‘hard’) competences in the field of telecommunications. They are mainly related to the construction and management of wider telecommunications infrastructure, as well as data analysis) and cybersecurity. Soft competences, including social, communication, business and language competences, have also been identified.

e-mail: Council.telecommunication@pti.org.pl
www.srtcb.radasektorowa.pl

Project "Creation and functioning of the Sectoral Council for Telecommunications and Cybersecurity’ is implemented under Priority Axis II: Effective public policies for the labour market, the economy and education and Action 2.12 Increasing knowledge of qualification and professional needs in specific sectors of the economy.
Its value is PLN 2 183 914,40, including European co-financing PLN 1 840 603,06. Project No UDA-POWR.02.12.00-00-SR03/18 is co-financed by the European Social Fund under the Operational Programme Knowledge Education Development 2014-2020.