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The European Commission estimates that there is a shortage of more than 600,000 IT specialists in the European Union, and about 50,000 in Poland, while the Organization of IT Employers and Services SoDA reports that the Polish market lacks as many as 250-300,000. This discrepancy probably depends on the research methodology adopted, but it is also a fact that in recent years companies have had trouble filling more than 40% of vacancies for IT positions, and more than 60% of companies have hired fewer specialists than planned.
Programmers and, more recently, IT security specialists dominate the list of most sought-after specializations. SAP consultants have also ranked high for years as one of the most forward-looking IT professions.
SAP consulting is a fairly broad field, but what may attract students and young employees to explore it is working with business systems that are the de facto standard for enterprise management. SAP programs are present in most countries of the world. SAP applications are available in many languages. More than 100,000 organizations worldwide use various SAP solutions, including more than 2,000 in Poland. One of the advantages of being a SAP consultant is working at the interface between technology and business.
Analysts at the Polish Economic Institute say that in order to fill the IT gap in Poland, 3.5 times more people should graduate with technical, engineering and mathematical degrees.
In the 2022/2023 academic year, as many as 44,000 young people began studying computer science in undergraduate and graduate programs. This is a record and at the same time the most frequently chosen field of study.
Block of subjects to choose from SAP at UKW
Among the universities educating future IT specialists is Kazimierz Wielki University in Bydgoszcz. UKW’s Department of Computer Science is young – it was established in 2019 on the foundations of the Institute of Mechanics and Applied Informatics (IMIS). What sets it apart is its staff, among whom you will find a lot of people with actual practical experience in the field of computer science and ICT. In such a rapidly developing field, knowledge of market realities and the needs of companies in terms of competence and specialization is crucial.
The university focuses on making the studies interesting, while at the same time having a practical dimension and allowing students to gain their first experience in the profession already during their studies. To this end, it establishes cooperation with companies that make their competencies and resources available. A typical activity is the subject Team IT Project, in which IT students work on a project task in the IT industry.
Another new initiative is elective subject blocks. One of the newly opened subject blocks is called ERP Information Systems. Most of the classes are implemented using SAP.
During the course, students will explore the implementation, operation and functioning of ERP systems. They will learn the principles of operation of individual SAP modules, such as warehouse management, finance, Business Intelligence, production planning and control. They will also acquire competence in database management and system administration. Classes in programming in ERP systems and prototyping IOT solutions, as well as project management, are also planned.
Izabela Rojek, Ph.D., Professor of the University, Dean of the Faculty of Informatics, Head of the Department of Data Processing Methods and Tools, Kazimierz Wielki University
University and business hand in hand
UKW’s Department of Computer Science cooperates with many companies in the socio-economic environment of the university. The cooperation is both formal and informal, through the signing of letters of intent, agreements and cooperation contracts with companies in IT-related industries. This applies to both research and development work (including commissioned research) for the benefit of companies, the implementation of student internships, study visits, as well as the implementation of theses with the participation and for the needs of companies.
Cooperation between the university and business, including SAP specialists, is very important for the quality of student education. As part of the implementation of the educational concept, a continuous process of its evaluation takes place by confronting its assumptions with the current needs of the labor market, an example of which is the development and introduction of the subject block ERP-class Information Systems. For the implementation of this block, the department obtained funds from the project “We focus on the development of UKW". Students, by choosing a subject block related to ERP – SAP system, acquire good prospects for development and career in the IT industry.
Dr. Izabela Rojek, Eng. , University Professor, Dean of the Faculty of Computer Science, Head of the Department of Data Processing Methods and Tools, Kazimierz Wielki University
All for One educates
All for One Poland is cooperating with UKW in the preparation of the subject block program and the training of lecturers who will teach SAP systems. Supporting such initiatives is part of our strategy of sharing knowledge about information systems, especially from the SAP ecosystem.
We are constantly expanding our team of SAP consultants and recruiting new employees. We welcome these candidates – graduates of computer science at UKW, especially after the subject block of ERP systems.
The new UKW initiative is good news for us. According to Michal Kunze, SAP Consulting and Application Service Director at All for One Poland, “We have ambitious growth plans, we are constantly expanding our team of SAP consultants, and we are recruiting new employees both for our branch in Bydgoszcz and in other cities. We welcome these candidates – graduates of computer science at UKW, especially after the subject block on ERP systems."