Skills Survey 2002: Learn from the past - train now

There could be as many as one in three contractors 'between contracts' - just one indication that now is the ideal time to upgrade skills sets, according to recruitment specialists Elan. So what's the way forward for most IT pros? Elan operations director Mike Berry opines...

Every industry has skills that at some point in time are more in demand than others. The rate of technological advances in IT means this is especially true for our industry, and research from recent years has pointed to a skills shortage. So has the picture altered?

Last year 39 per cent of those questioned for the silicon.com skills survey could not find enough skilled people to fill vacancies. The 2002 results demonstrate a dramatic fall to just 17 per cent, which implies the end of a widespread skills crisis. However, a number of skills are still in high demand - a firm signal that the industry is continuing to develop. It appears that now is the time for contractors to be taking every opportunity to ensure their skills mature at the appropriate rate.

This year's silicon.com survey indicates that greatest concern lies in the area of language programming, particularly Java, HTML, XML and C variants, with 32 per cent of respondents claiming these are the skills in shortest supply in their workplace.

Yet what is interesting is the grouping of these skills under the umbrella category of language programming, as the demand for different languages is growing increasingly diverse. Java in particular has come under scrutiny in recent years - so many projects have a web interface that it is essential operators are kept up to speed with the latest versions and developments.

This is reflected in the attitudes of IT personnel. Elan's research shows 90 per cent of contractors are aware of the acute need to regularly update their skills. As a result of a previous indication of a skills shortage, a significant number of people are trained in Java and what we are experiencing now is that rates are actually coming down.

This trend is exacerbated by the fact that, contrary to previous years, a lot of web architecture is now developed and doesn't have to be built from scratch. These skills do continue to be required, demonstrated in the survey, yet this demand no longer constitutes an official shortage.

Other language programming skills are in shorter supply - the most notable being C++, which we predict to be an invaluable skill for contractors in the coming year. While the skills shortage may have closed considerably, it is inevitable that internet technologies will continue to evolve.

Similarly, .Net increasingly looks set to be the platform of choice for the future. The net may be tightening but it is evident a discrepancy between demand and availability for certain programming skills does still exist.

Seventy-six per cent of those questioned for this year's silicon.com survey agree that organisations need to devote more time to in-house training, yet it is clear that the expense is a fundamental consideration within the current climate. It seems that bridging this gap requires increased flexibility from both employers and contractors.

Those who are not confident that their skills are as advanced as the market demands should think twice before demanding premium rates, while employers should seriously consider recruiting someone at a lower level to start off with, and spend more on giving individuals access to training. This way, IT budget is constructively channelled towards ensuring both that staff have the necessary skills and that a lack of capacity does not stifle growth once the market picks up.

Effective training for programming skills has been a casualty of recent cutbacks in company expenditure. The silicon.com survey findings echo research carried out by Elan which demonstrates that although over 90 per cent of contractors are worried about keeping up-to-date with skills and training, the majority - 59 per cent - have not undertaken any courses in the past year. This dichotomy is one that contractors in particular should address.

Why, during this quiet period, are contractors not flooding the training sector in an attempt to increase their market value? Online training and e-learning provide contractors with an inexpensive opportunity to improve their skills to meet formal accreditation standards. Many recruitment agencies offer these services free of charge. It seems that in these times of a reported crisis, these courses present an effective solution to the question of skills shortages within the language programming area.

This year's silicon.com skills survey results indicate the skills crisis of recent years has decreased dramatically - a trend that can be attributed to recent economic events. Yet despite this, projects are continuing to be implemented. The silicon.com survey reflects this, and suggests that certain skills are in demand, rather than pointing to a desperate shortage. It stands to reason that the industry learns from previous mistakes.

Now is the time for both employers and IT personnel to consolidate their skills set through the wealth of up-to-the-minute courses available to them, ensuring the UK IT industry is fully equipped to advance as soon as the growth period arrives.

** Elan Computing is one of Europe's leading specialist IT recruitment consultancies, with a network of offices throughout the UK and Europe. See http://www.elanit.co.uk for more.