Lab4Tech: the paradoxes of the IT job market

Thirty thousand. That is the number of IT positions expected to remain unfilled in Switzerland within the next ten years, according to current projections.

At the same time, Lab4Tech, a Lausanne-based association specializing in the employability of IT professionals, supports between 500 and 600 job seekers every year in the canton of Vaud alone.

Data science specialists, cybersecurity experts, and software developers, sometimes highly qualified, who nevertheless struggle to find employment again.

This paradox is something that Olivier Vanhiesbecq, Director of Lab4Tech for nearly ten years, encounters every day.

A need for specialization from the start

Lab4Tech was founded in 2008 because no labor market program specifically adapted to the IT sector existed at the time. “Employment office advisors often directed candidates toward training programs that were not genuinely aligned with their needs or those of the market,” explains Olivier Vanhiesbecq. “Even a basic training course could cost between CHF 4,500 and 5,000, sometimes with results that had little or no connection to actual market requirements.”

The initial idea was simple: streamline support for unemployed IT professionals, provide a thorough assessment before recommending training, and reduce costs for public authorities. Since then, the mission has expanded and the organization has grown significantly.

Originally active throughout French-speaking Switzerland (except Geneva), the association has progressively focused on the canton of Vaud alone. This was not a strategic choice, but rather the result of demand in Vaud becoming too large to manage on a broader scale.

How Lab4Tech works in practice

The association relies on two complementary programs, both funded by unemployment insurance and assigned through the Regional Employment Offices (ORP).

• Assessment Program: One to four evaluation sessions designed to establish a personalized employability strategy for both the candidate and their employment advisor.
• Practical Placement Program: A period spent on-site at Lab4Tech, ranging from one week to three months, during which participants prepare for and obtain industry-recognized certifications. Oracle Certified Professional, Cisco certifications, Azure certifications: the objective is to validate practical skills rather than attend theoretical training disconnected from real-world needs.

Talented professionals from diverse backgrounds

The diversity of the profiles supported by Lab4Tech is particularly striking.

From EPFL graduates with little professional experience to senior engineers whose positions have been offshored; from specialists in technologies that have become obsolete to recent master’s graduates entering the job market without securing their first role.

“There is no typical profile: we support everyone from IT apprentices to PhDs in computer science, ranging in age from 21 to 63. We even work with data science and artificial intelligence specialists who still encounter difficulties returning to employment.”

What has particularly concerned Lab4Tech’s management over the past two years is the noticeable increase in the number of recent graduates seeking support. Since 2008, such cases were anecdotal, usually one or two among 500 participants. In 2025, the association supported around ten recent graduates. By the end of August 2026 alone, that number had already reached approximately twenty.

This is not merely an impression. The Swiss Federal Statistical Office has confirmed the trend: unemployment among master’s degree holders has risen from 3.9% to 6.4%. In cantons such as Vaud and Geneva, the IT sector is among the hardest hit, with sector-specific unemployment rates reportedly doubling in just a few years.

AI: a real factor, but also a convenient excuse

It is difficult to discuss the IT market without addressing artificial intelligence. Olivier Vanhiesbecq is direct: “I think AI is currently a convenient excuse.” While its impact is real for certain professions, particularly in software development and design, it does not fully explain the observed deterioration of the job market. “Some companies prefer acquiring businesses in other European countries to gain access to lower-cost resources. AI gives them a convenient justification for doing so without needing to explain it further.”

The real structural risk may lie elsewhere. “If companies do not hire juniors today so they can become seniors tomorrow, what will happen when today’s senior professionals retire?” A question that concerns both companies and public policymakers.

The partnership with UDITIS: an ecosystem approachLab4Tech is not allowed to advertise. Partnerships with companies such as UDITIS therefore serve a dual purpose.

First, visibility: making local businesses aware that Lab4Tech exists and that they can find qualified candidates through its network before posting vacancies on traditional recruitment platforms. As Olivier Vanhiesbecq explains:

“Our goal is for companies like UDITIS to naturally think of consulting our network whenever they are looking for a specific skill set.”

Second, direct connections. Lab4Tech does not act as a recruitment agency in the legal sense, but it can facilitate contact between employers and candidates. A simple, informal mechanism that proves effective.

“We often talk about environmental sustainability. I see a form of social sustainability in what we do: valuing the skills that already exist in our region before looking elsewhere.”

Key takeaways

At the end of the interview, Olivier Vanhiesbecq summarizes Lab4Tech’s mission in a single sentence: “We are told that Switzerland will be missing 30,000 IT professionals within ten years. We already see around 600 every year in the canton of Vaud alone.”

“Perhaps we should start by making better use of these local resources before searching for talent elsewhere.”

UDITIS, as a partner of Lab4Tech, shares this conviction. Before launching a talent search, looking first at the skills already present within the region is not a nostalgic approach. It is a pragmatic and responsible one.

To learn more about Lab4Tech or get in touch with the association, visit www.lab4tech.ch