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Digital skills shortages ‘costing UK £63bn a year’

960 640 Stuart O'Brien

A lack of technical expertise has fuelled skills shortages across the UK for the last two decades.

That is according to comparative analysis of the professional jobs market by The Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo).

A 1999 report from University College London said almost half (47%) of all ‘skill-shortage vacancies’ that year could be attributed to a lack of technical expertise.

For ‘associate professional and technical’ roles, the need for ‘advanced IT’ skills was responsible for 31% of vacancies, while a lack of ‘other technical and practical skills’ were responsible for a further 49% of all open roles.

A separate report published the same year by Computer Weekly revealed that C++ developers were the most in-demand professionals with Java the second most sought-after skill in the IT recruitment market.

Now, research from The Edge Foundation suggests that around half of all employers (51%) have been forced to leave a role open because there are no suitable candidates available, and that tech job vacancies are costing the UK economy £63 billion a year.

LinkedIn data indicates that cloud and distributed computing is the most valued skill among employers, with user interface design, SEO/SEM marketing and mobile development also featuring in the top 10.

Commenting on the analysis, Ann Swain, Chief Executive of APSCo, said: “While the specific skills that employers are seeking have changed dramatically over the past two decades, the fact that talent gaps continue to be aligned with technical competencies suggests that we need to do more to boost Britain’s digital capabilities.

“Our members have long reported shortages of talent across the IT and digital fields. For this reason, it is crucial that we ensure that we retain access to the STEM professionals that businesses need in the short term – through maintaining access to global talent and retaining our flexible labour market.

“However, perhaps more importantly, we must pipeline the calibre and volume of skills we need for the future so that we break free from this perpetual skills shortage. As this data indicates, for the past 20 years we have been playing catch-up – and we must break the cycle if individual businesses, and the wider UK economy, are to fulfil their full potential.”

Reading is UK’s top destination for cybersecurity professionals

960 640 Stuart O'Brien

A new study has revealed the top UK cities for those working in the cybersecurity industry, measured against a criteria of salary levels, affordability, job availability and sector growth potential.

Reading came out top of the rankings, followed by Leeds, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Manchester, according to data pulled together by cyber security training outfit, Crucial Academy.

The research makes for interesting reading (no pun intended) against the backdrop of the perceived skills gap within the UK’s cybersecurity community, and beyond – the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA) estimates a global shortage of 2 million cyber security professionals by 2019, according to the UK House of Lords Digital Skills Committee.

In August, research from Databarracks revealed only 56 per cent of UK firms believe they have sufficient cybersecurity skills in-house to deal with the numerous threats they are facing, according to new research.

Databarracks questioned over 400 IT decision makers in the UK as part of its 10th annual, survey in order to understand their views on a series of issues relating to IT security and business continuity.

And 12 months ago the UK Government said it was “acutely aware” of the need for more skilled cyber security professionals working within the sector, and that it was embarking on a series of initiatives to help promote the profession.

Discussing the concern with members of UK technology industry body TechUK, Matt Parsons, head of cyber security skills at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) said at the time: “We are looking at a number of ways to retrain people who are interested in moving into the industry at pace and at scale.

“Using what we have learned, we are planning to scale up and look at how we can support the cyber security industry – and get more people in at a quicker rate.”

Neil Williams, CEO of Crucial Academy, said: “The cyber security skills gap is a growing issue across the UK. Every city in the ranking is a tech hub within its own right, however, it is fascinating to see which cities, based on these factors, may be more attractive to the much-needed talent pool of cyber security professionals.”

Tom Marcus, an MI5 veteran who works with Crucial Academy, said: “Cyber security is one of the most serious issues UK business faces today. For young people leaving education, ex-military people looking to transition to civilian life or those looking for a career change, there is no career no more Brexit-proof than cyber security.”