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How career changers can help close the tech skills gap

An increasing number of UK workers are considering a career in tech, according to our latest research. Discover how you can attract and engage with career changers now.

55% of non-tech workers have considered or actually moved into the tech sector, with 28% having considered the change following Covid-19. This is what our research of over 2,000 UK professionals reveals, looking into how a career in tech is appealing to workers from other sectors and how career changers can help close the long-talked-about tech skills gap.

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Watch the video with IHR and QA

In a recent interview discussing the results of our Turning to Tech research, Natasha Preocanin from In-house Recruitment sat down, virtually, with Dominic Harvey, Commercial Director at CWJobs and Stuart Martin, Director at QA Ltd to discuss how a growing number of workers are looking to change careers by moving into tech and what this means for the sector.

Given the role that tech has played during the outbreak, our industry is seen by many workers as offering new challenges and a good work-life balance. In fact, 44% of tech workers believe that learning tech skills will better future-proof their careers.

Career changers are an untapped resource for tech employers. The tech industry offers unique opportunities for people to pivot their careers and with IT set to receive a boost in investment, the demand for tech skills is likely to rise.

In order to secure top tech talent, companies need to be proactive in recruiting individuals into the industry. They need to consider that workers from various job backgrounds and levels of experience can bring a wealth of transferable skills that can help close their skills gaps.

This proves that many may already be suited to tech regardless of the level of their current tech skills.

Remote working opportunities

With over half (56%) of non-tech workers planning to change careers, the tech industry offers many opportunities. With Covid-19 having created the era of remote working, attracting talent from further afield is now a viable option for many businesses.

Our report finds that 26% of workers who have considered or already undertaken a career change have done so to achieve a better work-life balance. Having the option to work from home can reduce stress levels, increase employee productivity and improve general wellbeing.

It can also increase company productivity. CWJobs’ previous research has found that 80% of IT decision makers believe a remote working policy would increase productivity in their company.

With remote working here to stay for the foreseeable future, employers that don’t embrace flexible working will lose out to competitors in recruiting top talent.

Learning and development

When asked where they would invest additional tech budgets, 39% of IT workers said upgrading tech infrastructure and 36% said increased training for workers.

Specific tech skills are in very high demand. They are key to helping companies stay afloat and continuing their digital transformation journeys. Employers need to act fast and engage with these candidates ahead of the competition to secure the best talent. Our survey finds that the tech skills companies currently need are IT support (33%), cyber security (23%) and cloud (18%).

Candidates seem eager to learn tech skills and improve their career prospects. In fact, 50% of all workers have taken an online tech course in the past 12 months, with 22% stating the pandemic proved a catalyst for them to take action.

The tech appeal

For companies to tap into this new pipeline of future talent, they need to understand how the potential tech workforce feels about a career in the industry. Our campaign finds that the top advantages of working in tech are: higher demand for skills (24%); endless ability to learn (23%) and more rewarding and interesting work (22%).

Employers should also aim to offer attractive relocation packages for workers who are willing to relocate within the UK. Incentives that help cover logistics like moving costs, legal fees, travel costs, and temporary accommodation can be a valuable recruitment tool.

CWJobs’ targeted emails can help employers connect with candidates who have just retrained to show how they can help them move their career forward.

Looking ahead

Given the size and scale of Covid-19’s impact, it’s unsurprising that technology has played such a vital role throughout the pandemic and now propels the industry as a solution for possible career changes.

As technology has become the backbone of today’s modern economy, workers are beginning to realise the advantages of turning to the tech sector. By broadening their skills, workers can better showcase their initiative to future-proof their careers.

As the sector realises the benefits of approaching talent from outside tech, the UK will witness natural growth and stability and strengthen the UK’s status as a global tech leader.