By now it’s clear that digital transformation is leading the way post-pandemic. Although many things in the business world remain uncertain, the accelerated demand for online services and the requirements around the digital platform model is apparent in almost every sector. Although this means that IT professional are in serious demand, there’s a significant proportion of IT contractors who are struggling to find work. This is because the crisis has shifted demand for the skills of tech professionals today.
IT remains the dominant area of all agency hiring, accounting for 35% of vacancies over the period since the shutdown. As lockdown lifts, figures show a definitive spike in the demand for IT professionals. However, it’s not just any skills that are in demand. Areas such as cybersecurity and collaborative software support experienced a significantly heightened demand due to the number of people home-working. With 60 percent of businesses saying they will keep operating remotely for the medium to long term, this is a trend that’s set to continue.
IT is integral to ecommerce and booms in FinTech, MedTech and EdTech as these massive service sectors continue to move their operations online. TechUK's deputy chief executive, Antony Walker, said: "We've seen two years of digital transformation happening in the space of two weeks". The industry group says that British firms are now realising that digital skills are crucial to all parts of the business, from setting up websites and marketing, to optimising production processes. Demand for web designers and developers recently rocketed 15.5%, compared to last month.
The UK already has a serious skills shortage when it comes to IT, with the latest data from the Open University showing that half of employers struggle to attract talent with the right IT skills. Large tech firms IBM and SAP previously predicted that by 2020, there would be one million unfilled jobs in the IT sector because people aren't being trained with the skills to take on these jobs. Cloud infrastructure, data science and developers with knowledge of core languages are all integral for this new phase of business development.
In April, the Department for Education launched the online platform "The Skills Toolkit", offering people access to free, high-quality digital courses to help build up their skills and boost their job prospects. However, awareness of the courses is still low, so TechUK is working with the government and various organisations to raise awareness. The Chancellor also designated funding for training and skills development in his Summer Economic Statement. For more information about the most in demand IT roles and how much contractors can expect to earn, read our article here.
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