Bridging the IT skills gap, Graham Smith

Look ahead Bridging the IT skills gap Graham Smith explains how changes in education can meet the increased demand for IT skills.

Today, more than 1.5 million people work in the digital sector or in roles related to digital technology, and the number of digital technology jobs across the UK is growing at twice the rate of other jobs. But are we properly prepared for the future?

Today’s young people and students are digital natives, surrounded by technology since birth. That said, this familiarity doesn’t necessarily mean that they possess an in-depth understanding of IT and computing, or how to use it within a business setting. In fact, when it comes to calculating how many people receive a formal technical education, the UK’s students are placed 16th out of 20 across developed economies.

Britain’s IT skills gap is no secret. According to a survey from the British Chambers of Commerce, firms are finding it harder than ever to recruit skilled workers — almost threequarters of service providers are struggling to make the hires they need. According to reports, skills shortages reached a critical level in the last quarter of 2017, with a record number of firms reporting recruitment difficulties. So how can today’s young people transition from being digital natives to being digital workers?

In 2015, only 15,000 British students sat an A-Level in computing or ICT. This accounts for less than two percent of the overall exams set. As a result, there are only a small handful of school leavers moving on to higher education study in this

field. What’s more, despite multiple schemes and initiatives to increase this figure, the number only grew by around 500 students in 2016.

Competition to find the right candidates is particularly high for roles that require niche skillsets. Specialists in Microsoft Azure, for example, are feeling the benefit of having some of the most in-demand skills in the industry. As the central pillar of all Microsoft projects, there is an evident skills gap in this area, and because of this, specialists can charge a premium. But how many school-aged students have ever heard of Microsoft Azure, let alone are enthused enough to pursue this specialism after higher education?

One of the criticisms of the IT industry is that the sector isn’t attractive to young people. According to a Mondelez International survey of more than 1,500 teenagers, 44 per cent believed that Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths – the STEM subjects – were uninteresting. What’s more, almost half of the participants considered STEM subjects to be less enjoyable than other subject areas. There have been several initiatives to improve the perception of IT in schools, such as Microsoft Education. This scheme encourages the digital transformation of schools by promoting the use of technology in every aspect of education, not just for lessons in IT and computing. The goal is to ensure that every student leaves the education system with

an understanding of how to use technology. But, while schemes like this do improve general IT competence in schools, how will they address the wider issue of a lack in advanced IT skills?

Ultimately, this comes back to the reputation of IT among young people. The existing IT course taught in schools has been dismissed by critics as ‘teaching little more than how to use Microsoft Office’. However, in today’s environment, using this kind of software should be an essential skill, like reading, writing or basic numeracy. By integrating IT skills into every aspect of learning with Microsoft Education, those students interested in more technical computing skills can pursue more advanced areas of IT.

Perhaps ironically, the IT skills gap has been caused by the overwhelming success of the UK technology sector. Yet, this success isn’t enough to entice young people to take up a career in IT. Since it is clear that the university route isn’t suitable for everyone, the introduction of T-level apprenticeships provides new hope. T-levels, introduced in the 2017 Spring Budget, will allow 16 to 19 year-olds to study and gain digital skills through real-world experience. The government describes its plans as the ‘biggest overhaul of post-school education in 70 years’, with T-levels replacing thousands of courses currently on offer.

Students can only learn so much from a training programme in the comfort of a university campus. In the real world, there are deadlines, compromises and increased pressures. This lack of understanding of real-world IT in traditional education reinforces the value and need for T-levels. As a specialist recruiter for the IT industry, Curo Talent has identified that IT organisations aren’t necessarily looking for candidates with bachelor’s degrees in computer science, but rather the

determination and technical understanding needed to complete a project on time.

The education changes are expected to come into effect in 2019, with additional funding of over £500 million per year once the courses are up and running. As with all initiatives, however, it will take time for the results to filter through, so the IT industry shouldn’t expect a quick fix. According to a KPMG report, Britain has spawned 45,000 technology companies in the last five years, the equivalent of one new business every hour. If the industry is to continue to grow, there needs to be an influx of new talent to build the IT infrastructure of these new companies. The consequences of not bridging this skills gap will result in adverse outcomes for the UK economy.

Additionally, the Office for National Statistics suggests Brexit uncertainty is damaging the UK’s reputation as the jobs factory of Europe. As a result, there is a reduction in EU talent moving to the UK to work. This makes it more crucial than ever to develop home-grown talent, and an overhaul of the UK’s technical educational must be the first step.

If the UK is to sustain its technology boom, it is vital that technical education should remain a long-term government priority so that there will be the talent available to fill digital technology vacancies that continue to grow at twice the rate of other industries sectors.

Graham Smith is head of marketing at Curo Talent, a Microsoft talent solutions partner and the ‘Smart Team Freelance Partner’ for the UK. Curo Talent offers end-to-end consultancy and provides recruiters with talented candidates