Companies lack skills to enhance their networks

Shortage hampering plans for new technology

The UK is in the grip of a Europe-wide networking skills shortage that is hampering many companies' efforts to deploy new technologies such as voice over IP (VoIP) and wireless networks, according to a report published by analyst firm IDC.

IDC predicts that the UK's networking skills gap will widen from 19,400 people this year to almost 40,000 by 2008. Its survey of 950 European firms, including 30 in the UK, found that one-third had recruited network professionals in the past year, but half of these companies found it difficult to find people with the right skills.

The report predicts that the skills shortage is set to get worse, as 80 percent of respondents said the importance of their network systems will increase.
The shortage is harming the productivity of UK businesses, according to Nick Watson, enterprise managing director at Cisco, which commissioned the research.
"We're finding more companies recognise the benefits that come with wireless networks or VoIP, but they can't find staff with the skills to deploy and run the technology," Watson commented.

Faced with this problem more firms will have to retrain existing staff and turn to IT service providers to manage their networks, said report author Marianne Kolding. But Watson warned that companies could not rely entirely on outside service providers as they would require some in-house skills to be able to evaluate their provider's performance.

Cisco runs over 600 UK academies providing networking courses, and works with government-backed agency eSkills UK to support IT skills initiatives, but Watson said more action is needed from both the government and private sector to prevent the skills gap widening.