Educators warned of the growing IT skill gap

Students and educators collectively fear that educational institutions are not fully preparing the next generation of workers for the increasingly high-tech business world.


A report by IBM shows that just one in ten organisations has the skills needed to develop business analytics, mobile computing, cloud computing and social business. With growth in global IT jobs market expected to exceed 20 per cent every year until 2020, IBM says students require hands-on experience with IT to ensure they are prepared for the demands of the workplace.  Educators are urged to focus on cloud computing, mobile app development and e-commerce as practical yet in-demand IT services.

“Having a highly skilled workforce is critical to an organisation’s ability to innovate, meet client demands and grow. In response to the growing IT skill gap, IBM is expanding its skill development programs in key areas such as cyber security, mobile computing and commerce,” says IBM academic and developer relations manager Jim Corgel.