Business Development :
From software development to telecoms, and from hardware infrastructure to business intelligence, SA's ICT industry is facing a crippling shortage of the skills it needs to deliver on large projects. Graduates with ICT qualifications, senior managers and especially mid-career professionals are all still in short supply across a range of disciplines and market segments. The situation looks likely to get worse before it improves, especially as the industry recovers from a long slump in demand for its products and services. “We spend a lot of time thinking and worrying about the skills shortage,” says Greg Vercellotti, executive director of software development firm Dariel Solutions. “The recession turned a skills crisis into a mere skills shortage.
But now that we are seeing a lot of activity in the market again, we are facing a massive shortfall of qualified skills.” Oracle SA country manager Pieter Bensch says his company alone is looking for about 1 700 new employees across Europe, Middle East and Africa. “The skills shortage is a topic that arises in all our discussions with our clients,” he says. “The shortage covers various levels, from consultants to project managers.” Vanessa Raath, recruitment manager at It's About People, says a shortage of skills is a global crisis but one that is hitting SA particularly hard. The country is competing against developed countries for skills – Australia's Gold Coast, for example, is full of South African IT professionals.
But now that we are seeing a lot of activity in the market again, we are facing a massive shortfall of qualified skills.” Oracle SA country manager Pieter Bensch says his company alone is looking for about 1 700 new employees across Europe, Middle East and Africa. “The skills shortage is a topic that arises in all our discussions with our clients,” he says. “The shortage covers various levels, from consultants to project managers.” Vanessa Raath, recruitment manager at It's About People, says a shortage of skills is a global crisis but one that is hitting SA particularly hard. The country is competing against developed countries for skills – Australia's Gold Coast, for example, is full of South African IT professionals.
“The shortage of skills – and the scramble for best talent – is a global challenge,” agrees Siyabonga Nkosi, talent lead at Accenture Southern Africa. “However, the skills shortage in SA is acute.” One reason for the skills gap is increasing demand for ICT services across industries such as banking, telecoms, retail, mining and government as organisations seek to drive operational efficiencies and growth, says Nkosi. The news isn't all bad, says Raath, whose company specialises in business intelligence placements. It's About People works with Homecoming Revolution and has noticed a sharp increase in expats looking to return to SA. Some are being pushed back to SA by the global economic crisis. Others want to settle down to raise children near their families. All of them are returning with valuable international experience. “We are interviewing one guy who is a Sharepoint expert with a decade of specialist experience. You would bat
tle to find more than a handful of people in SA with that level of skill,” Raath says.
tle to find more than a handful of people in SA with that level of skill,” Raath says.
The missing middle
Many recruitment firms and ICT companies bemoan a gap in the market for technical skills between fresh graduates and senior professionals working towards retire ment. Mid-career ICT professionals with a few years of experience under their belt appear to be moving into management positions or heading overseas in large numbers. “There are technical people who want to stay technical, but so many young professionals believe they must move into management to make the real money,” says Teryl Schroenn, CEO at HR and payroll solutions firm Accsys. “The people we're targeting with around four years of experience seem to be emigrating,” says Mario Matthee, head of software quality assurance at DVT. “And the skills situation is going to get worse. The market is picking up, with many new projects being approved.” At a high level, the most coveted skills are those of people who straddle the worlds of business and technology. Companies need people who not only understand technology, but who can also integrate services from a range of service providers to create a solution and who can consult with business users in their own language. One skill-set that many recruitment firms and software developers single out as especially scarce is that of the mid-level to senior business analyst, a professional who bridges the divide between technology and business.
One reason for this is that businesses are focussing on process improvements rather than merely implementing new systems, says Cindy von Pannier, sales and marketing director, Adapt IT Group. Sean McLean, IBM SA's university relations manager, says skills in short supply cut across IT architecture, infrastructure and software development.
People with an understanding of mobile and cloud architecture are in demand, as are storage and database administrators. Experienced software developers and testers are few and far between, says Matthee. Niche skills and emerging technology skills such as mobile are especially hard to find. “Hot skills include SAP, network technology skills, process management, application development, systems analysis and database development,” says Nkosi. Brent Flint, services executive for Dimension Data Middle East and Africa, says one of the major challenges lies in transitioning legacy skills to newer technologies such as converged networks. The key shortages from Dimension Data's perspective lie in cross-domain skills such as virtualisation, unified communications and collaboration, and IP telephony. It goes without saying that companies are struggling to meet their employment equity targets with a dearth of candidates emerging from tertiary institutions. “Employment equity skills are a really big problem. We are not seeing a representative number of non-white people entering the industry,” says Vercellotti.
People with an understanding of mobile and cloud architecture are in demand, as are storage and database administrators. Experienced software developers and testers are few and far between, says Matthee. Niche skills and emerging technology skills such as mobile are especially hard to find. “Hot skills include SAP, network technology skills, process management, application development, systems analysis and database development,” says Nkosi. Brent Flint, services executive for Dimension Data Middle East and Africa, says one of the major challenges lies in transitioning legacy skills to newer technologies such as converged networks. The key shortages from Dimension Data's perspective lie in cross-domain skills such as virtualisation, unified communications and collaboration, and IP telephony. It goes without saying that companies are struggling to meet their employment equity targets with a dearth of candidates emerging from tertiary institutions. “Employment equity skills are a really big problem. We are not seeing a representative number of non-white people entering the industry,” says Vercellotti.
Source: IT Web, South Africa
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