This blog was originally posted to my LinkedIn profile page, which you can find here.
The recent research from the British Chambers of Commerce is an indication of the journey still ahead of us in encouraging the adoption of technology, IT and engineering in schools. We currently have real strengths in research, technology and creative industries, but we must continue to develop or risk falling behind other countries. As a nation, we should be setting our sights higher.
The Internet is about to take another leap in capability in what’s called the Internet of Everything, where billions of previously unconnected things are connected and made smart. In the UK, we have fantastic capability, expertise and leadership in this area, and thankfully the government has started to invest, but we could do so much more. We need to have more ambitious ambitions. We want world leading IT skills, not just world matching as we are aspiring to today.
At Cisco, we’ve long believed the UK has the potential to become a hub of technical innovation and we are increasingly seeing this prediction come to fruition. We’re already making fantastic progress in this area, with initiatives such as Cisco’s Networking Academy providing IT training for the skills needed to harness the technologies of the future. These programmes are evidence of the talent that is being cultivated in the UK at the moment; and they are a vital complement to innovation and growth if we are to position ourselves as a globally competitive economy and workforce.
A group I’m also active in, the Tech Partnership, is formed by over 500 companies, including Cisco, Microsoft, BT, ATOS, Telefonica, Accenture to name but a few, and it aims to inspire young people about technology, accelerating the flow of talented people from all backgrounds into tech careers and help companies develop the technology skills they need for the future. We’ve recently secured funding to upskill over 100 of our UK and Ireland team in the areas of security and Big Data for example, but the opportunities to grow and nurture technology skills are there for business of all sizes.
There are potentially a million jobs for our young people in digital technology over the next decade; with better education and ambition we could double or treble that number. However, we need to start from the ground up, by fostering a passion within both students and teachers about the life opportunities that IT, technology and engineering skills can offer. Businesses, the government and education institutions all have a role to play and developing links with industry bodies such as the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) and the local UTC (Universities Technical Colleges) will be crucial to the UK’s success.
I totally agree with Ann. I relocated from the Silicon Valley to the UK 3 years ago and one of my frustrations is the lack of jobs where you are allowed to work remotely or part time… Companies have not realised that techies can be as or more productive when allowed to work flexible hours from a flexible location. Besides, they can cut their costs of operation.
Hi there are a lot of us ‘oldies’ with in depth knowledge of networking, routing, programming etc. Many of us do not or cannot do a full time job in London but many of us are willing to work part time from home. Guess this applies to lots of people not in my age group as well. There is no shortage of skills, bur there is a shortage of types of employment in the IT industry.
It is strange that an industry which enables other sectors to do business differently is still in the Victorian age when it comes to employment.
If you continue to chase the same pool of full timers in big cities, of course you will have a shortage. Time for the industry to think outside the box!
I have worked in the I.T. industry for many years as a Help Desk Analyst, Client Support Technician ,Server Administrator and an owner of an I.T. business in Canada.
I went to take a break to have children and have retrained into business just recently getting my MBA. There were several good reasons for changing my profession mid career, firstly the amount of qualification that you need to acquire to stay qualified as an I.T. professional is expensive and time consuming. The return on investment is not worthwhile. The salary does not match the educational and financial commitment required. Secondly if you are a women and take a break to have children expect your skills to be outdated within six months , as you need to keep updated with cutting edge I.T. to stay competitive with the lads , unless your partner is taking over these responsibilities. Thirdly and finally why not just go for University education because it does not become outdated in a year , it would be good for the I.T. companies to team up with the government and take some of the cost of education away from these I.T. professionals to ease at least one hurdle. Fourthly the time costs to be in this industry and stay competitive are too high and something usually a person who takes on the care of children cannot afford. In order for the shortage to be addressed effectively these barriers need to be lightened or removed . There are ways , but being biased is not one of them. An open mind towards people globally and demographically is important if we want Britain to have world leading I.T. skills.
This is simply a cynical lie, there is no “skills shortage”.
Cisco knows this.
The highest paid people in Cisco UK are accouants and sales, yet do we hear Cisco bleat about the lack of accoutnats ?
No we do not.
Cisco would like to be able to pay les for IT staff, fair enough. I’d like to pay less for a Ferrari, but I don’t make up economically illterate nonsense to demand that Ferrari make enough cars that the price drops until I can afford one.
If Cisco weren’t just pretending to “take the issue seriously”, then they’d increase what they offer IT people to work for them.
…but that won’t happen, because that would leave less for the more politically powerful sales and accountants at Cisco.
I worked as a project engineer had my Solaris and Microsoft certification Citrix meta frame pmp ccna Ccnp too many to name, but after taking time out to have kids was considered completely deskilled. People seemed to think I was too old to start in IT so I retrained as a teacher.
I love teaching but really miss my old career I loved working as a system engineer and it’s a shame no company was prepared to take the risk, I would have happily taken a junior post to reskill and enable the company to benefit from my past experience but as others have eluded to ageism and sexism seem rife in IT.
We agree with the sentiment of this report and as a small but growing business feels this really falls back.
The real challenge for the UK’s digital economy is to get non traditional digital businesses online and trading well. Independent analysts estimate that full digital take up could add up to £63 billion to the UK’s economy.
Practical IT skills are not just required but also strategic skills on how to deliver business value online. Our recent DigiChampz project in rural Yorkshire (funded by the European Commission) has found that businesses don’t know what they need to know about the opportunities and benefits of the digital economy. Lack of universal decent broadband is still a major issue in the UK which stops many rural areas from embracing ‘the Internet of Things’. Ask any business if they want faster broadband and they will say “yes”. Then ask them if they know how to deliver maximum value for their business from faster broadband!
4.2 million people are now working from home some or all of the time. We are now a nation of back bedroom businesses (not corner shops) all innovating using the Internet, but often struggling with skills, help and support.
We are recommending to the European Commission that we set up a pan European network of local digital champions to help support business users. I’d also like to see a network of digital hubs set up across the UK (particularly in rural towns and villages) that provide hot desking, IT skills and support for home workers and local businesses looking to unlock value from doing business online.
I’m a trustee of a CIC looking to transfer a local village library into community ownership (from the council) and transform it into a digital hub which meets user requirements of the local ecosystem, from businesses through community groups to residents. There are plenty of people living in local communities across the country who have terrific IT skills, business and life experience (yes, older people!) which, if brought together, is a powerful combination to help unlock local supply chains, empower online users, and drive up economic growth.
If the IT industry could get over its shocking ageism then this shortage would be greatly reduced. IT professionals are not finished at 35.
Couldn’t agree more, as a middle-aged woman with about 25 years experience in data networking and telecoms I spent a solid year job hunting to no avail. All my training, skills and experience, which no-one apparently wants…
I’m now trying to retrain as a software developer as it seems an area of work with far better prospects. Bit of a mountain to climb, but you do what you have to do to keep your head above water.
Dear Sir
This is an interesting article focusing on the younger generation. As we have the Equality Act in the United Kingdom, I would like to hear about what is proposed to enable access to IT professions for mature students. Currently, the exam fees are extortionate, further education colleges are not funded for IT training for mature students. Private organisations that are unregulated are fleecing individuals who are desperate to climb up the IT ladder.
While much is done for the “younger” workforce, aren’t you missing out a broad range of individuals who maybe career changes, individuals post redundancy and anyone else who may wish to carve a career in IT.
I hope you will have a solution for this.
Regards
Dr Rita Pal
Would love to see the youth of today being more proactive in educating themselves about the inner-workings of technology.
Couldn’t agree more Phil; as a Cisco SME we’re eager to invest in our countries youth and empower them to work in this fast moving Digital Age. That’s why we’re starting an apprenticeship scheme to nurture the natural talent and help support the future of Britain’s Digital Growth
http://www.intrinsic.co.uk/about/apprenticeship-scheme/
If the internet removes borders for business so does the free movement of labour remove restrictions on skills markets. Despite preaching about the benefits of international connections employers still refuse to look beyond the boundaries of their own national borders for skills.
The world is not just about youngsters, It as much about the rest of us. Many highly skilled workers are locked into jobs with “the only employer in town”. Too unsure about stepping into the outside world to improve themselves and benefit new employers with their skills these people are a phone call away (not an advertisement) from putting an end to skills shortages.
Work permits for Italians, Romanians and Poles are not required to work in EU member states.
Unlocking stagnant skills markets is one step to solving skills problems.
Fair points. One additional point that I would make is that the ability to work remotely these days should further reduce the barriers for employing a global workforce. It’s not just about relocating people – many would prefer to work from those remote locations with travel included when needed. This of course is not possible for all roles, but is an option for many, especially if we want to continue to promote the Internet of ‘Everything’ and essentially practice what we preach.
I agree on the need to employ older people too, there are plenty who would relish the opportunities but business often tends to overlook those who are eager to develop further in favour of the young, untried/untested and dare I say it cheaper end of the wage bracket. Developing the next generation is important but a diverse workforce is often more efficient.