More than half of young Italians between 18 and 30 would like to change jobs, but are afraid that their qualifications will not allow them to do so. The SWG-Epicode research exclusively for Italian Tech analyzes the complicated relationship of young Italians with the world of work and refers to a sample of 600 people between 18 and 30 years old. And he explains how in reality the fear of the future starts early: still at school, in fact, three out of five students say they fear that at the end of their studies they will not be able to find a job they like.
On the other hand work is not just a source of economic sustenance: for 7 out of ten it is important that it is “cool”, in short, that you can tell around what you do for a living arousing envy and admiration (but who knows, maybe just the amazement, considering the titles and the imaginative qualifications that arise with the new professions). Obviously this is not perceived as a topic of primary importance among those with a humanistic background and those who declare themselves far from the tech world in general.
The question in table 7 is crucial: “Thinking about the next 3 years, which are the main areas of expertise that will be developed or consolidated in your company / which are the main areas of expertise that you would like to develop or consolidate to improve your future professional profile? ” It is aimed at both companies and young people, as we can see, and among the answers there are interesting ones affinities and differences. The most striking case is that of foreign languages, where between 18 and 30 years of age 43% believe that they can play a decisive role in finding a job, while for those who hire the percentage is only 12%. It must be said that, from the perspective of an employer, this implies that knowledge of foreign languages is an acquired fact, just like a certain computer competence. Like the ability to juggle, at least at a basic level, with the code, which however is taken lightly by young people: it is important for 32% of companies, but only for 24% of young people. A great example of the gap between what companies are really looking for and what young people expect companies to look for from them.
The analysis
Stem subjects and Italian women: a complicated relationship
by Alessio Jacona
Yet, those who already have a job tend to fear technological innovations, and is afraid of being scrapped. On the other hand, however, those who do not have a job, do not seek it and perhaps do not even study (the so-called Neet) see technology as an opportunity to change their lives: when asked whether a strong updating of key skills technological and digital could change their work situation, 7 out of 10 answer affirmatively.
A commonplace is that companies in Italy struggle to find STEM profiles (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), and the SWG research confirms this in clear numbers: the average is 57%, with peaks reaching 80% among the big companies.
And if a degree is not really a discriminating factor to be hired in small businesses (it does not count for 61%) and in medium-sized businesses (irrelevant for 50%), it becomes so for larger companies, where you cannot enter without the piece of paper (only happens to 10% of new hires). Finally, a positive fact is that the perception of technology-related jobs among young people is not related to being men or women. Among app developers there is absolute parity (always in theory, we remember, because the reality is very different), while for young people, girls are more inclined to design interfaces than to design automata. However, the gap is small, certainly less than what exists between dolls and toy robots.
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