Podcast: Reducing the tech skills gap
Tune in to our discussion with Neil Hughes on Tech Talks Daily podcast about the state of the tech industry now and how to bridge the skills gap.
Our Commercial Director, Dominic Harvey, recently joined Neil Hughes on his Tech Talks Daily podcast to discuss our latest industry insights on career changers into tech.
Listen to the podcast
Listen to the full podcast episode here.
Here are the highlights from the discussion:
Non-tech workers moving into the tech sector
He supplemented this by mentioning the Confederation of British Industry’s recent announcement that £13 billion will be needed to retrain adults by 2030 to support the future economy with tech being a key focus.
In 2020, every business recognised the value of IT, with tech teams being at the centre of efforts trying to keep businesses afloat and productive. And they continue to do so, as our own research reveals, with 45% of IT workers surveyed saying their companies are actively recruiting for tech roles.
Reflecting on this statistic, Dominic said that when Covid-19 hit, it heavily impacted many industries, and tech is no exception. He said that to see this statistic come out of such a dire period was a surprise but proof how vital tech skills are for every businesses’ smooth running.
He went on to say that on the other hand, companies have now realised that if they don’t have a strong remote working plan, then they may be exposed on a sub-security level. Companies that aren’t prepared, will have to devote a lot of time, money and effort into setting people up to work from home. This makes it evident why cyber security skills are in high demand now and in the future.
Finding talent outside the tech industry
Neil shared the statistic that over eight in ten (81%) IT workers would welcome talent from outside the tech industry in order to help close the skills gap.
The stereotype of an IT person from twenty-five years ago has changed enormously. There’s still a long way to go in terms of gender diversity, but that darkened room at the end of the corridor with one person in control of all things IT is long gone. Even I was surprised that eight in ten see finding talent outside the industry as a positive. There’s now an understanding that we need to get the right talent into the tech department.
Dominic Harvey, Commercial Director, CWJobs
Neil asked if a lot of tech roles are being advertised outside the tech sector. Dominic confirmed that there’s significant demand for roles in data and business analysis. He said there’s a huge variety of opportunities in tech that the wider public aren’t aware of that they can move into.
He used the example of search engine marketing, asking whether the role is part of marketing, or part of the tech team. He said that nowadays, there’s a blurring of lines between disciplines and confirmed that tech skills are needed across almost all sectors.
Moving into a career in tech
Neil shared that IT support and cyber security are skills companies need and are actively looking for skilled candidates to fill those roles. He asked Dominic if he had any advice for those entering a career in tech.
Dominic said that baby steps with long-term goals is a good approach. He said people should ask their employer if they can do and Open University or assisted course to gain the relevant experience and qualifications.
He said that people can always take a career break, but that there may be other opportunities within a company that employees don’t know about. One area that’s untapped is apprenticeships. He said that bringing people in and providing them with skills also enables companies to dictate the diversity of the cohort.
Neil asked if CWJobs is noticing a call for the IT community to develop their skills. He cited the statistic that over a fifth (22%) of all workers have undertaken online tech training courses since the pandemic.
Dominic replied by saying that IT workers are always looking to enhance their employability to ensure they are adaptable to the future world of work. He said that the IT community has always been curious by nature and that part of the tech mentality is to look for ways of doing things better and more quickly. He said that as an IT worker, it’s a case of tapering down and making sure that one eye remains on advancing technologies and new ways of working.
The state of contracting in the tech sector
Neil asked whether contracting was becoming more popular in the tech industry and mentioned that CWJobs helps people search for both temporary and permanent roles.
Dominic said that contracting in the tech sector is being widely discussed at the moment. He said it’s interesting that the Government pulled IR35 legislation at the last minute to allow contracting this year.
He cited the statistic that 2.9 million tech jobs were created in the last year, which represents 9% of the UK workforce. He said he feels proud that CWJobs has played a part in this and that the platform is able to speed up projects for companies. He said it’s a challenge for employers to find the tech skills they need and that word of mouth, being the kind of employer people want to work with, and looking at diverse ways to recruit are all good hiring strategies.
Listen to the full podcast episode here.