Will the IT Skills Shortage Improve in 2022?

​2021 has been a hugely challenging period for almost every industry as companies have had to adapt to the challenges of virtual working, with the Technology sector showing a particularly prominent change as businesses have had their digital transformation strategies rapidly brought forward and put to the test.

The pandemic shed light on our reliance on IT and Technology specialists to keep processes running smoothly while the world moved to remote work settings and led to increased discussions around the importance of these industries and the value of those that work in them.

As life begins returning to ‘normality’, demand is growing more than ever for workers with niche IT skills to take on roles like JavaScript Developers, Software Engineers and IT Project Managers.

Putting the skills shortage in real terms

While the IT skills shortage became apparent long before Covid-19, the pandemic only drew attention to the very real gap between industries that need critical IT roles filling and the availability of those with the necessary digital skills. According to results from a study conducted by the Learning and Work Institute, less than 50% of UK employers believe new members of the workforce have the necessary skillset to meet demand in an increasingly digital world. Additionally, the Learning and Work Institute also found that the number of students pursuing IT based subjects at GCSE level had fallen by 40% in the past 6 years, adding to the disparity. 

Necessity for skilled professionals spans the entire IT sector, however companies have identified a significant shortage of those working inAI, cyber security and custom Java development architecture.In a report conducted for theDigital Economy Council and Tech Nation, the job search engine Adzuna analysed UK job vacancies over the past year and saw that Tech and IT related positions now make up 13% of the market, up 0.7% over the same period from the year before.

Making roles worthwhile 

With such a demand for skilled employees and contractors, specialists in the IT and Technology industries can afford to be more selective about their career prospects.As technologies launched over the course of Covid-19 continue to develop, workers in these fields will have to grow with them. As a result, an increasing number of employers are offering positions where employees can continually up skill with subsidised training courses as an incentive, as well as benefits like continuing the flexible or remote working options employees may have become accustom over the past 18 months.

Expectations for 2022

With an estimated 3 billion new digital jobs due to be created by 2025, it is essential that companies act quickly to get the right procedures in place for attracting and keeping top talent.Making roles attractive to prospective candidates will be key but ensuring that long-term motivators and support systems are available for those working in often demanding and fast-paced sectors will help to secure employee retention.

​At Gravitas our consultants provide specialist recruitment services in key niche talent areas like Technology to find the solutions that meet your requirements. If you want to find out more about our services, or see how we can help you, get in touch today and our team will be happy to help.