There’s no doubt COVID-19 has pushed digital, and particularly business and global digital, forward a few lightyears. But are there enough experts to go round?
Hello digital future! You’re early
In the height of the pandemic, there was an eight-year period that data revealed business and consumer digital adoption had leapt forward five years. And there are other experts who believe that in total we have advanced around seven years into the future, in our adoption and use of digital technology.
It’s not hard to see why IT has been identified as one of the employment sectors with a sure future; and therefore, one for people to consider retraining in to future-proof their careers.
And if everyone is going digital, with more businesses fuelling an all-time demand for IT services, with more people choosing IT as a career, you could be forgiven for thinking that there will be, if not already, an IT sector awash with emerging experts and services.
If nearly every business and consumer is, as reported in the press, operating in their digital future, you would think that there was no shortage of technical whizz-kids to provide the services we need. And a computer genius at the ready to catapult you to digital success, where all your IT niggles are banished, and you have IT support on tap, at the end of the phone ready to satisfy your every ‘out there’ request.
But is this true? Can IT service providers cope with the demand for digital?
Just this month it was reported that there are not enough people with the right digital skills available. It’s said to be “worrying” and that although there are now many digital academies so that people can start to retrain and get the right skills, this takes time; and people are urgently needed now.
According to LinkedIn research, there will be 150 million new technology jobs available over the next five years. But as it stands, the talent is few and far between.
It’s estimated that 40% of the UK’s working population have inadequate digital skills and people are reluctant to learn new technologies.
Having the right level of digital skills is also one of the misconceptions too; many people may think they ‘know digital’. But the skills the market demands stretch way beyond being able to send an email and knowing your way around social media.
Digital skills is a term that covers so much, and where employers now request these, they could mean anything from coding to aspects of digital science.
Demand for tech outstrips supply
It’s going to take some time for the tech industry to catch up as businesses require more and better ways to service their customers and provide the products and services in the way they want. As well as ensure continued online safety, security and compliance.
Now companies have realised they can mobilise teams instantly, and globally, the new ways of working are here to stay, and will only become more so.
Keep hold of your trusted tech team
Yes, there will come a time where there are more IT service providers available. But some of them will be new, and will not have the experience and learning that comes from years of working with IT and tech systems.
The advice right now, is if you have a trusted IT supplier, keep hold of them.
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