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July 4, 2023
Employers are facing a difficult task when it comes to filling technology roles today. According to one study, around 95% of employers have encountered a skills shortage over the past year. As technology moves forward at a faster pace, we need skilled workers to step in to implement and manage this technology. But at present, we aren’t training workers to acquire the skills we need to keep up with advances.
So, what are the primary causes of this skills gap, and what can we do to close it? Let’s first look at some of the reasons that we don’t have enough skilled workers to fill these roles, and then some of the proposed solutions to this problem.
The technology skills gap refers to the shortage of workers capable of carrying out specific skilled work. There are skills gaps across many sectors, usually in highly specialised roles that require specific training. There can also be a skills gap in less desirable work, but this is not the case for the technology sector.
The skills gaps in technology is down to a shortage of workers across cyber security, data management and software development. Put simply, we aren’t training enough workers to fill these roles, which means employers are chasing a smaller and smaller pool of potential candidates.
There are many reasons a skills gap can occur. In order to meet demand in a growing industry, there need to be more workers joining the sector than are leaving. As mentioned above, undesirable work or poor working conditions can impact some sectors and lead to a skills gap, but this doesn’t seem to be the case in technology. In general, technology jobs are well paid and the conditions are favourable. So, why don’t we have enough workers for these roles?
Potential reasons for the technology skills gap include:
Let’s look at some of these reasons in more detail:
We have to ask important questions about whether young people are being presented with technology as a career option. Do they have opportunities to choose technology subjects at a young enough age, and are these options presented to them when it comes to choosing university courses? We also have to ask questions about the gender gap in technology, and if enough young girls see technology as a viable career path.
The pandemic forced many people to think about training in new careers, but are there opportunities for individuals to choose technology training later in life? Adult learning opportunities need to be flexible enough to fit around existing commitments, while also being accessible and affordable.
Any sector with a skills shortage will put pressure on workers already in the field to plug the gap. This can make roles more stressful, as there aren’t enough workers to complete essential tasks. This can lead to burnout among existing technology workers, which could be to blame for some choosing less stressful career paths.
The pandemic made many workers realise that their job could easily be done from home, so employers demanding that workers return to the office is likely to be met with distaste. We are seeing workers leaving key technology roles because they see other companies offering better work/life balance, simply by offering the opportunity to work from home. Working from home may be more difficult in the cyber security sector, but it certainly isn’t impossible.
When the UK voted to leave the EU, the UK became a lot less attractive for tech companies. Many went overseas, taking the best talent with them. Technology is a career path that can open doors throughout the world, so UK employers need to work that little bit harder to retain the best talent. This is harder when the UK is seen as a less prosperous place to live, and the cost of living crisis is only making things worse.
Employers need to cast a wider net when it comes to filling roles. Instead of looking for workers that are qualified to hit the ground running, it may be more beneficial to find workers who have the aptitude for the role and are willing to undergo training. Here are some ways that employers and the sector might consider closing this skills gap: