Today’s news / Drop in IT students threatens Danish firms
At the IT University in Copenhagen, all seats are taken, and according to DR, the university has to reject students in three out of four educations. Conversely, there are vacant seats in IT education in places like North Jutland. (Archive photo). Photo: Philip Davali/Ritzau Scanpix

Drop in IT students threatens Danish firms

Despite a slight increase in applications for IT education, Denmark has accepted fewer students this year compared to the last. According to DR, based on data from the Ministry of Higher Education and Science, 6,881 students were accepted from the 8,867 applicants this year, compared to 6,951 in 2023. This one percent decline could have serious implications for companies seeking IT skills, affecting their international competitiveness and potentially leading to economic losses. Mikkel Haarder from the Confederation of Danish Industry links the decrease in admissions partly to the geographic relocation of study places decided in 2022. He anticipates a larger decline next year due to a policy reducing university admissions. Furthermore, a report from 2021 highlights an existing shortfall of 7,600 IT-trained employees, a gap projected to grow to over 22,000 by 2030.