The IT training landscape is always changing. During the CompTIA Partner Summit earlier this week, attendees were introduced to new technologies and data that have and will continue to influence IT training.
Tim Herbert, who is the senior vice president of Research & Market Intelligence at CompTIA, spoke on the effect emerging tech is having on learning and on the workforce skills gap.
“There is a relationship between the growth of the industry and the training space,” says Herbert. “There is always tension between emerging (tech) and fundamentals.”
Herbert continued to talk about this tension and how our advancements in technology are growing faster than our ability to train the users of the new tech. This is what is causing the large skills gap that everyone is talking about.
It is important as IT instructors and employers to not generalize the idea of a “skills gap.” Herbert continually emphasized that there are workforce gaps on many fronts. He stated that there is of course the technical skills gap, but there are other gaps like soft skills gaps, sector expertise gaps, location gaps, pipeline gaps, confidence gaps and perception gaps. Understanding these diverse gaps will help instructors train students to their needs and help employers find the employees that fill most of these gaps for them.
IT instructors across the globe are running into the similar problem that there’s a lack of people wanting to venture into the IT workforce. Herbert provided some insight into why young people aren’t taking on the tech industry.
According to a study cited by Herbert, there are an estimated 50 million tech jobs available globally, but only 24 percent of the young people in the world are interested in pursuing a tech career. The following are the top perceived barriers of getting into the tech workforce, according to young people:
- Field of technology is too competitive
- Cost is too high, and there aren’t enough affordable schooling/training options
- Lack of preparation or lack of exposure to technology in high school
- Limited job opportunities in technology in their local area
- Lack of guidance from mentors or others on how to pursue a tech career
Herbert stated that our young people are needing more social elements in their training, but also more e-learning options, more mobile/app-based options, more gaming and more autonomy or flexibility.
Instructors have the important responsibility to help build interest in tech fields as well as help students develop all the skills necessary to enter the workforce. Students need to come away from an instructor’s program with people skills, workplace skills and applied knowledge. This is no small task!
Ascend Education, with its complete online training courses, is here to help. Instructors are responsible for so many things, which is why you should let Ascend take care of the curriculum aspect of your course. Our courseware has all the tools a student needs to learn how to bridge the many workforce gaps they will be facing. Help your students gain confidence in themselves by letting Ascend help you.
