IT Pros lack leadership skills

The lack of skilled IT professionals with leadership abilities is getting worse, according to a study by the Institution of Engineering and Technology.

The skills gap among IT professionals is not news, but the study showed it's not looking to improve. "It's disconcerting to see the condition getting worse," said Paul Jackson, the director of professional operations.

The most cited quality which IT workers lack is leadership - no surprise given the many high-profile IT failures, he said.

"Leadership has been highlighted as something missing," said Jackson. "There's been a lot of high-profile IT projects where not gone according to schedule, where leadership would have helped."

Half of companies surveyed said they would not be recruiting school leavers because they lacked the necessary skills. Jackson called on schools to encourage students to join the sector, and said professional bodies could do much to fill skills gaps.

Another 50 per cent of firms surveyed said they had recruited staff from overseas to fill gaps. But Jackson noted that although half a million science, engineering and technology students graduate in India each year, "not all of those will have the right skills."

And, while greater mobility of staff globally means the UK can recruit from other countries to fill skills gaps, it also means it's easier for highly-skilled staff to leave to the US or the rest of the European Union.

Another area of failure is the failure to encourage women into the field. Just seven per cent of workers in technology-related fields are women, the study found. "Very disconcerting," said Jackson. "It's very low compared to other professions. More has to be done in IT and technology."

Again, he called on schools to do more to encourage girls to take up the subject. "It has to be at a really early stage," said Jackson.

Given the nature of the jobs in the sector, it's well suited to women's career needs, he said. "The kind of jobs in IT industry fit very well with flexible working so there's no reason it's not attractive," said Jackson. He added that its not as much of a problem outside of the UK, saying China has many more women studying IT and technology.

Keeping up with countries such as India, China and the US is key because the knowledge economy is so important to the UK, Jackson said. "IT underpins all those industries now, so key to get that it right," said Jackson. "Supply is very important. We haven't got right supply of people so it' going to be a bit difficult," said Jackson.

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