Competition cited as cause of skills shortage by over one-third of UK security leaders
Analysis of the challenges faced by IT leaders in the U.K. was conducted in a recent report by Hyve Managed Hosting. The report revealed that 80% of U.K. businesses are currently encountering difficulties in finding the talent needed to address present IT challenges.
Research has shown that the majority of decision makers surveyed identified the skills gap as a significant obstacle to the success of their businesses, along with ongoing economic uncertainty, competition, and technological advancements. 42% of U.K. business and IT leaders attribute the skills shortage to the rapid pace of technological evolution outstripping the current speed of training and development of new talent, leaving businesses vulnerable and exposed:
- 31% of respondents believe academic institutions are not keeping up with industry progress, resulting in a scarcity of qualified candidates entering the workforce from schools or universities.
- 30% stated that insufficient training in schools is not adequately preparing individuals for entry-level roles, raising doubts about the current curriculum.
- 35% of respondents believe that larger companies exacerbate the skills shortage by creating competition that draws many skilled professionals away from the market.
- 27% perceive the high cost of talent acquisition as widening the gap.
- Regarding the most in-demand skills, cybersecurity (43%) and cloud computing (34%) top the list, followed by:
- Machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI): 33%.
- Developers: 26%.
- Data (e.g. analysis/visualization): 25%.
- 52% admitted to settling for less qualified professionals frequently due to a lack of suitable candidates.
