The tech skills gap is an extremely topical and important issue in the United States and across the world. Many companies are now struggling to find employees with the relevant technological skills. Even the tech sector is finding that they have many open positions where suitable candidates have not been found since individuals do not have the specialist skills needed within the sector. Then, to find out more and learn what you can do about the issue as an individual or a business, read on.

What do you need to know about the tech skills gap?

The tech skills gap across the globe has existed for many years, and it is expanding as new technologies are developed. Many employers are advertising for in-demand positions that they are unable to fill due to a lack of relevant skills, leaving them unable to grow or progress as a business or to utilize the latest technologies that are being developed. Although there are more tech students than ever before, they cannot graduate at the pace that companies are looking for certain skills, especially since the skills that they are looking for constantly change. This means that if they do not keep learning, some tech professionals could find that they do not have the relevant skills for the market almost as soon as they start out on their career ladder.

How can individuals hone their tech skills?

There are many ways that you can hone your tech skills as an individual. The best way to do this is to consider taking a tech degree that can allow you to learn a vast array of IT skills on a beginner or advanced basis, as well as allowing you to specialize in a certain subject that interests you or that you want to get a career in. For instance, at Kettering Global, they offer Masters of Data Science programs that can teach you how to design and develop data modeling processes, as well as computing and statistical techniques that can be highly scaled. This online program will allow you to learn tech skills while working from anywhere in the world, and have the qualification that you need to then find a job in technology.

There are also many other informal ways that you can hone your tech skills. For instance, you could consider attending a workshop event where you will be taught and mentored in how to carry out certain technical tasks. Although these workshops will usually only be tasters and relatively short, they can help to give you a basic understanding of the foundations of some of the most sought-after technical skills. What’s more, they will usually be run by professionals.

You should also consider carrying out your own projects and self-teaching yourself about technology. For instance, there are many coding programs and web development and design applications that can guide you through the process, and that can allow you to experiment with the basics within your own time. This self-guided approach can even be advantageous as it can allow you to be independent and have a physical example of your skills to show to future employers.

Also Read: The Field of Computer Technology

What can businesses do to close the gap?

As a business, you can attempt to close the technical skills gap by running training programs and focusing on upskilling the employees that you already have. This is especially important if you are introducing new technology. If you do not want to run these training schemes yourself, you could consider hiring another company to carry out these programs in your stead. You could also pay for some of your employees to take a course or qualification with the condition that they return to use these new skills within your business.

You should also make sure that existing talent in your sector is drawn to the opportunities at your company by offering the possibility of career progression and continued learning, ensuring that you provide exciting benefits and that you create a welcoming working environment.

If you are unable to fill the skills gap, you should consider whether the tasks that you need to be fulfilled could be done by automation or robotics rather than humans, with there being many software applications that could help companies to do so. You could also think about whether it is possible to hire an external firm to who you can outsource these technical tasks so that they are carried out to a high standard at all times.