What You Need to Know to Launch Your IT Career in the Czech Republic
Are you looking for work in information and communication technologies? Demand for digital skills in the Czech market is unprecedented and global-minded employers are ready to hire! Photo: Freepik.
With an affordable standard of living and convenient location in central Europe, it is no surprise that thousands of people are exploring new career options in the Czech Republic. The number of expats moving to the Czech Republic to work in information and communication technologies (ICT) has been growing steadily each year. Statistics from the Czech Statistical Office (CZSO) show that over 27 thousand expats, around a third of which were non-European, were employed in ICT in 2019 – representing a fifth of the sector.
Future employment in the ICT services sector in the Czech Republic is expected to grow by 9,6% from 2020 to 2030, this is above the European average of 8,9% following data from the European Centre for the Development of Vocational training (Cedefop).
Digital Skills Are in High Demand
As remote work took off in 2020, digital skills and the ability to work with ICT became highly attractive to employers, particularly in the ICT sector, but also in education, health care, finance, business administration, science & engineering, trade and manufacturing.
According to the European Labour Force Survey conducted by Cedefop, the ICT sector proved to be the most resilient against disruption during the outbreak of coronavirus. Remote positions such as ICT professionals, technicians, researchers and engineers had little to no risk of exposure.
Source: Tasks within occupation indicator, Cedefop Skills Panorama (2020).
While demand for ICT specialists is rising, the demand for technicians is shrinking as many ICT tools can be managed by people with user-level skills. According to data from Eurostat, the number of Czech companies shifting to outsourced IT services is growing rapidly. This trend may be related to the increasing use of cloud-based services in small and medium-sized businesses. More and more positions require higher ICT skills and specialised ICT profiles. Many ICT technicians are shifting towards a professional level to meet the growing demand.
Certification is essential for ICT professionals, the share of ICT professionals with high-level qualifications will increase to 74% in 2030 according to the European Commission. ICT professionals tend to have skills from non-pure IT studies and knowledge from science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM). Cross-skilling can enhance one’s portfolio and support the transition towards ICT professional positions.
The Czech Silicon Valley
Many positions that do not require you to speak Czech can be found in the major cities. The highest paying jobs in information technologies are typically based in Prague where salaries can range from 100,000 to 150,000 CZK according to Grafton Recruitment.
Brno is also an attractive location for talented professionals. Known as the ‘‘Moravian Silicon Valley’’, Brno offers a unique environment for both international and Czech companies, start-ups and research centres.
Leading Companies in Brno:
| Honeywell |
| IBM |
| Red Hat |
| Infosys |
| Zebra Technologies |
| Vodafone |
Numbeo rankings show that the quality of life in Brno is higher than in Prague, Stockholm and Bratislava. Brno is a great place to meet new people, it has a growing community of internationals and a large student presence. The Brno University of Technology and Masaryk University offer programmes in software, technologies, engineering and medicine.
Want to discover new opportunities abroad? Find positions that match your experience from hundreds of job offers on Jobspin.cz, or get noticed by top recruiters at the upcoming job fairs in Prague and Brno.
