When we think about how technological advances in society are going to impact the world of work, we often look to the way the likes of automation, AI, the IoT, and co. are likely to nullify the need for human intervention and put jobs at risk. That’s understandably the primary concern in industries in which new technology is increasingly infiltrating core processes, but what about the tech industry itself?
Today, the global information technology industry is estimated to be valued at around 5 trillion US dollars and growing. But while the industry’s exponential advances in recent decades pose an almost universal threat to jobs elsewhere, there is a considerable manpower issue within the technology sector, with the swelling tech market struggling to find the skilled workers it needs to continue on its current trajectory. Chicago, California, and Atlanta tech jobs will continue to increase but it will require people with experience and skills to fill in the job vacancies.
An interesting dynamic, then, but a decidedly pressing one for global tech leaders. Here’s a brief look into the problems facing the industry right now.
A tech skills gap, tech skills shortage or both?
There are two problems facing the tech market currently – a skills gap and a skills shortage. While these two terms represent similar challenges for the industry and are often used interchangeably, they are two distinct problems.
When talking about the current skills shortage in the market, we’re discussing the manpower issue currently at play. Recent research from Raspberry Pi retailer, OKdo, found that four in every 100 advertised jobs in the UK require computer science skills, and that supply is currently failing to meet demand as not enough young adults choose to pursue advanced IT studies in the later stages of their education.
OKdo’s president, Nicki Young, said on the matter:
“Our research highlights just how important it is that the number of students studying computer science at GCSE and beyond – and choosing this as a career – continues to gain momentum. The tech industry has been reliably growing, and there is high demand for talented people with this specific skill set.”
That lack of advanced computer science knowledge among the collective traverses both skill shortage and skill gap problems. The skill gap refers to the difference between an individual’s existing knowledge and the knowledge required by the industry for those individuals to perform effectively in their roles. This is a problem right now at both ends of the experience spectrum, with fresh computer science graduates lacking the practical skills to go alongside their academic knowledge, and experienced veterans not keeping up to speed with the latest academia and instead relying on their practical knowledge base.
The solution? Simply to encourage more interest in learning at every level of the tech market chain, from initial education through to senior involvement. A task much easier said than done of course, but the current skill shortage in the global market alongside the potentially lucrative career path the tech sector can provide should hopefully be enough incentive to push more young people in the direction of tech-based learning.
