«Do you enjoy programming, solving technical problems or running infrastructure projects? These are the fields in which many believe most future jobs will materialize”, writes NRK, the Norwegian public broadcaster.
“These jobs are about finding new and more efficient ways to run the country,” says career consultant Hanne Heiervang in the article.
New statistics from Statistics Norway suggest that technology knowhow are what countries like Norway need in the future. The national statistical institute has analyzed the jobs market, suggesting technology will be one of the safest educations based on projections for 2035. Education and health are other safe bets.
Experts agree. In its 2017 Corporate Study, the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV) points to a severe lack of job candidates in the IT sector. Johannes Sørbø, a job market expert at NAV, says there has been a sharp increase in sector job offerings: “There is need for IT competence regarding digitalization. Getting an education in the field should provide ample opportunities in both the public and private sector,” Sørbø comments to newspaper Aftenposten.
The promise of digital security
There is a particular lack of candidates in digital security. A report from the research center NIFU stipulates that one of four jobs will have disappeared by 2030, unless focus is shifted.
“Paycheques are growing fast in the field. Many candudates have secured jobs 12-18 months before they complete their Master’s degree,” writes researcher Michael Mark in Khrono, calling cyber criminality “one of our society’s top security challenges”.
Driving digitalization
A report from The Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise (NHO) stipulates that digitalization has already replaced 136.000 jobs in Norway. The report’s main author Stefan Følster tells newspaper Adresseavisen that there is a great need for technical knowhow – now and in the future:
“However, there is even greater demand for people who both know a profession and have the digital competence to drive digitalization in their field. This will be even more important in the long run, when computers and robots will be better than people at more things.”
Career consultant Trude Ekker at Smart Studie & Karrierevalg recommends getting an education in information technology and digitalization.
“A lot is happening in these fields, also with regards to data security. It can be a good move to combine a profession with more technology. We will se more of these combined edications in the years to come,” Ekker says to TV2.
A Norwegain version of this article was published on Noroff.no. Noroff is a Creative Industry Brief partner. Noroff students produce signed content for this publication through the student content agency Untold Editorial.