Tech leaders from Germany, Austria and Switzerland set 2023 priorities at inaugural meeting
DOWNERS GROVE, Ill. – Promoting career opportunities in technology, building cybersecurity resilience and enhancing business growth opportunities are among the 2023 priorities for the new DACH Community launched by CompTIA, the nonprofit association for the information technology (IT) industry and workforce.
The community’s Executive Council, comprised of executives and leaders from companies in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, met recently in Düsseldorf to establish priorities and plans for 2023.
“The group has bold plans to help companies address their staffing needs, cybersecurity challenges and operational issues,” said MJ Shoer, chief community officer, CompTIA. “These are big issues that are not easily solved, but our Executive Council is ready to take on this task with great enthusiasm and a strong commitment to advance the region’s tech community and workforce.”
CompTIA DACH Community Executive Council members include Jürgen Ebner, ICTE; Otto Schobert, thefi.com; Géraldine Fricke-Bonin, Pax8; Max Pfister, niteflite networxx GmbH; Peter Dumitsch, SBIT AG; Ralph Friederichs; CYBERDYNE IT GmbH; Felix Zoebisch, be-solutions; Robert Sieber, MSP-Support GmbH; René Claus, Sophos; Jürgen Venhorst, Datto; Friedrich Holstein, Honaco Informationstechnologie GmbH & Co. KG; Rolf Niedhorn and Peter Feige, TechnoSoft Consulting GmbH; Henry Kiene, IT Service & Consulting; Bernd Ramgeus, Das Sys GmbH; Markus Rex, Synaxon; Josef Astlinger, Alerto Managed IT-Services; Andreas Schweizer, Diverto ICT Services; Tobias Motzet, Acronis; and Kai Joeres, and Norbet Neudeck, MailStore Software GmbH.
Leading the CompTIA DACH Community’s priorities are efforts to “make the technology industry cool.” That will involve raising the industry’s status and visibility, changing perceptions about the industry and delivering the message that there is a place in the industry for anyone with aspirations, curiosity or interest in joining the tech community.
“The technology industry in the DACH region and around the world is thriving, with career opportunities in many types of jobs,” Shoer said. “Our job is to break down entry barriers to joining the community of technology professionals. We do that by making education, training and opportunities available to help people build confidence to know that they can thrive as a technology professional.”
Executive Council members said that taking on workforce challenges will benefit employers as well, whether they are tech firms or companies in other industries.
Recent research by CompTIA shows that the demand for tech workers, as measured by employer job postings, remains strong across Europe.[1] In Germany, for example, employers advertised more than 639,000 openings for tech occupations in Q3 2022. These openings include a variety of occupations, including software and web developers and programmers, systems analysts, cybersecurity professionals, network and systems administrators and technicians and IT support specialists.
On the cybersecurity front council members cited the need for continuous education of customers on the importance and value of building a strong cyber presence. CompTIA’s latest “State of Cybersecurity” report found that the general state of cybersecurity is making relatively slow progress.[2] Especially in more developed regions, few individuals believe that there is dramatic improvement being made. Nearly everyone feels that there is room for improvement.
The DACH Community is the fifth such group established by CompTIA. These member-led communities serve as influencers and ambassadors and work collaboratively on business initiatives and ideas to advance the tech industry. For more information on the CompTIA DACH Community visit https://connect.comptia.org/connect/communities/dach-community.
About CompTIA
The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) is a leading voice and advocate for the $5 trillion global information technology ecosystem; and the estimated 75 million industry and tech professionals who design, implement, manage, and safeguard the technology that powers the world’s economy. Through education, training, certifications, advocacy, philanthropy, and market research, CompTIA is the hub for unlocking the potential of the tech industry and its workforce. https://www.comptia.org/
Media Contact
Steven Ostrowski
CompTIA
sostrowski@comptia.org
+1 630.678.8468
[1] “European Tech Hiring Trends,” CompTIA, December 2022.
[2] “State of Cybersecurity 2022,” CompTIA, September 2022.
Steve Ostrowski
Senior Director, Corporate Communications
(630) 678 - 8468
sostrowski@comptia.org
Roger Hughlett
Director, Corporate Communications
(202) 503 - 3644
rhughlett@comptia.org
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Access Now$2 trillion – Estimated direct economic impact of the U.S. tech industry, representing 8.8% of the national economy.
582,000 – Number of tech business establishments in the U.S.
9.1 million – U.S. net tech employment at the end of 2022.
286,400 – Estimated number of new technology jobs added in the U.S. in 2022.
4.1 million – Number of postings by U.S. employers for tech job openings during 2022.
