IT skills shortage

IT skills shortage

Find out which specific IT posts are yet to be filled in the current job market...

141,000 IT and Telecoms recruits are needed annually to satisfy industry demand.

The Financial Sector is crying out for people equipped with IT skills. It might have seen a downturn in its fortunes in recent months and no longer be brimming with the limitless pots of gold of yore but it still presents an Aladdin’s cave of opportunity for those who have the necessary skills.

In the 2008 silicon.com Skills Survey, results showed 54% of respondents working in financial services said their business had IT positions it was unable to fill. The IT skills most in demand are programming languages, IT management and Linux.

The same barren technology landscape exists in the public sector as well, with a shortage of those skilled in IT management, programming languages and web services/SOA (Service-Oriented Architecture). In the telecoms vertical, the most in-demand IT skills are: applications development, programming languages and networking/messaging. The same can also be said for the retail sector where there is a lack of trained individuals with database, ERP and web services/SOA skills. A shortage in IT skills also exists in the hi-tech sector with programming languages featuring once again along with web services/SOA and Linux.

The benefits of a career in IT:

• Job and work opportunities abound for competent IT professionals.
• The digital revolution has also created a global market for qualified professionals. You have unlimited options as to where you live.
• IT work is interesting and challenging as it often involves innovation, problem solving or income generation.
• You can shape the future. Some IT careers allow you to work with and develop the latest technology.
• Flexibility. It is an area that allows you to balance your personal lifestyle and your professional needs.
• The pay is good. It is a question of demand and supply. Professionals are needed to create, operate, maintain and programme computers. Demand far outstrips supply. Businesses are willing to pay well for competent IT professionals.