Hello CEO: Charlotte Eriksson, Softronic

- To increase interest, we must continue to make tech visible and clear. What does it really mean to work in tech, and what opportunities does it offer? It is an attractive industry from the perspective of individuals, companies and society. For the individual, there are plenty of opportunities for work, a secure income, career and development potential," says Charlotte Eriksson and continues:

- In the bigger picture, this is an industry that permeates most of today's society. I wonder if we even understand how much of our lives is based on digitalization. Tech enables innovation and development in all industries. We are finding the solutions of the future to the challenges of today. Who wouldn't want to work with that? I can't think of anything more exciting!

How is Softronic working to secure the need for tech skills?

- Securing skills needs is one of the most important issues we face as an employer in tech. Competition for skills is tough and we work actively with recruitment to attract the right colleagues. It is at least as important to offer a stimulating workplace where colleagues want and have the opportunity to develop. At Softronic, we work a lot with skills development. We offer internships and trainee programs as well as training programs later in the career. The training is tailored and supplemented with practical experience in our various undertakings. In addition, we are committed to ensuring that our work creates value - technology that does good in society. We believe that this is also an important component in attracting talent, that what we do at Softronic actually makes a difference.

How to increase the entry and completion rates of tech education in higher education and universities of applied sciences?

- In the same way that we need to increase interest in the industry as a whole, we need to increase interest in tech among children and young people. "Tech subjects" in primary schools need to be more fun and less scary. My own reference group, my children, suggests a clearer focus in primary schools, for example programming as a separate subject, so that children learn more and thus increase their interest. Understanding what it means to work with tech is also important, that it is not just about sitting in front of a computer screen. Our children have a high level of digital maturity. Using digital tools is a matter of course. It should be obvious that they learn more about it in school, to not only be consumers, but also producers.

What do you think the tech industry should do to attract more women?

- More men than women train in tech, so it starts there. Increase interest in tech education among all, and especially among women. We need to continue to highlight good examples and role models. Then, we tech employers need to work actively on gender equality and creating an inclusive culture in the workplace, not just linked to women, but in general. Personally, I'm not going to let my job role be defined by gender, but by my qualifications. If I can be a role model in this way and get others to think the same way, that's positive.

What do you have to say to the next government to secure the need for tech skills?

- Invest more in technology subjects in schools and post-secondary technical education. Then we must realize that the digital labor market is global and not limited to Sweden. We are competing with the rest of the world for both jobs and labor. Sweden must be at the forefront of what we can offer, including improved processes for labor immigration. There is more to do in this area. If we do not do this, the skills we need will not choose Sweden.