IT skills gap worsens to match 2004 levels
Concern mounts as shortcomings in IT
The IT skills gap is at its highest level since 2004 and is continuing to grow for both technology users and IT professionals, according to research.
Sector skills council e-Skills UK says more than one in 10 UK employers report deficiencies in the skills of their IT staff, compared with just five per cent the previous quarter.
The shortages concern both higher-level technical abilities and business skills, with medium to large firms worst affected.
And just under one in five UK employers reported issues with employees using technology in their everyday work.
The IT skills gap remains a serious issue, says e-Skills UK chief executive Karen Price.
‘We are pleased the government is considering recommendations that will help organisations increase their investment in training and ensure that learning and qualifications better meet their needs,’ she said.
Gerry Pennell, chief information officer for Co-operative Group, says fewer people are choosing the profession because it has a poor reputation.
‘One does wonder how the IT profession in the UK is going to move forward,’ said Pennell.
‘In the past, IT has been guilty of over-selling and under-delivering, so the sector needs to regain its professional status to attract people into the industry.
‘That under-delivery tarnishes the image of the whole profession, so the aim for the industry is to regain integrity,’ he said.
Some firms are relying on outsourcing to make up for shortfalls in ability, says Ovum principal analyst David Bradshaw.
‘You can outsource to places such as India to cover skills gaps to some extent, especially for technical skills, but is not a panacea for providing IT people with business skills,’ he said.
‘Technology projects are moving away from the IT department to become business projects and there are issues finding people who understand IT and the business.’
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