IT businesses need to adapt before skills gap becomes impassable

IT businesses have been called upon to start offering apprenticeships and accepting vocational qualifications before the UK skills gap becomes too wide.

44% of UK businesses said that the IT skills gap is having a direct effect on staff productivity, with 27% saying it has slowed their speed to market. 46% reported concern about trying to find IT staff with the right skills and experience to fill jobs, despite nearly two thirds (62%) believing that business conditions are going to be better than last year. This optimism has at least rubbed off on respondents resourcing plans – 28% plan to hire IT staff this year, up from 19% in 2014, and more than three-quarters of UK firms plan to increase IT spending this year by an average of 4.2%.

When probed further about the consequences of the skills gap, 30% said that customer service had suffered due to insufficient skills and 26% noted a detrimental effect on innovation and new product development.