UK demand for cloud skills continues to rise

Training on chalkboard

The future's looking bright for young people hoping to bag a job working with cloud technologies, according to Akamai.

The cloud delivery platform examined data from IT Jobs Watch to find that opportunities in the cloud are on the rise, with available cloud engineering roles increasing by 18% and senior cloud engineering roles rising by 34%.

Businesses are actively seeking candidates with knowledge of Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform and AWS as they migrate to the cloud.

Google Cloud skills are most in demand according to Akamai, with 116% more vacancies specifying candidates should have expertise on the cloud platform. There's also been a 62% rise in vacancies seeking experience in Microsoft's Azure cloud platform, and 37% more opportunities for people with AWS skills.

Cloud security is also a big trend in the recruitment industry. Roles requiring certified cloud security professional status rose by 70% over the last 12 months, while GIAC security essentials certification was required by 149% more roles. Security monitoring skills were in demand by 12% more businesses in the same timeframe.

App development skills are also required by more jobs than in previous years. For example, microservice knowledge was asked for in 114% more job postings in the last year, while Kubernetes expertise was required in 248% more roles.

“These figures are encouraging for young students considering a career in the cloud industry,' Ian Florey, solutions engineering manager at Akamai UK, said. "The demand for increasingly complex and specific cloud skills is a sign that the UK is moving beyond simply adopting the cloud, to embracing the benefits it can provide.

"With cloud technology becoming the backbone of business infrastructure across the world, demand for these technologies will increase. It’s crucial we nurture the talents of the UK’s students now, to combat concerns that the UK is facing a skills deficit, and ensure we have the skills available to manage and innovate these technologies in the future.”

Clare Hopping
Freelance writer

Clare is the founder of Blue Cactus Digital, a digital marketing company that helps ethical and sustainability-focused businesses grow their customer base.

Prior to becoming a marketer, Clare was a journalist, working at a range of mobile device-focused outlets including Know Your Mobile before moving into freelance life.

As a freelance writer, she drew on her expertise in mobility to write features and guides for ITPro, as well as regularly writing news stories on a wide range of topics.