EDITOR’S QUESTION
DR TERRI SIMPKIN, HIGHER
AND FURTHER EDUCATION
PRINCIPAL, CNET TRAINING
A
s economies speed headlong into a
period variously recognised as the
‘second machine age’ or the fourth
industrial revolution, rampant technological
advancements are a key characteristic of
the time. Organisations in the Middle East
join others around the world in predicting
constraints to growth, a mismatch of
skills due to changes in IT demands and
competition for talent across different sectors
including engineering, aviation, construction
and professional services. The data centre
sector is, of course, no better off due to
rapidly changing business models, shifting
customer demand and skills shortages across
most technical occupations.
But what should be done? The response is complex and often
stretches across many areas. Organisations must look at the
shift in capability demands. It has recently been reported that
53% Middle Eastern organisations are set to reduce spending
on IT in 2017 . However, advances in artificial intelligence
and automation will shift the focus of IT capability requiring
imminent development of new skills to just keep pace with
changes in the way IT is deployed in organisations.
CTOs, CIOs and other IT strategists in the data centre
sector specifically must identify how their capability needs
will shift and prepare for
it with current staff rather
than relying on a new
wave of skilled personnel
to simply turn up and be
available for work.
One response is to better
identify current and
emerging skills gaps and
invest in targeted, sector
specific education and
development rather than
generic training that is
likely to be outdated almost
immediately. The World
Economic Forum (WEF)
recently reported that the
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Middle East is deriving only 62% of its full
human capital potential. In simple terms this
means that current investments in people are
not being fully leveraged. Skills wastage, the
mismatch of learning and education within
the roles that are available, is a key factor and
an issue in the IT and data centre sector.
Indeed, the WEF found that 21% of core
skills in the Gulf Cooperation Council region
will be different in 2020 than in 2015. The
data centre sector is susceptible to this shift
and is at risk of finding itself with a workforce
that is unfit for purpose if investment in
emerging skills needs is not made.
Partnering with sector specific education
providers is one of the smartest strategies to achieve
return on education spend and an increase in technical
productivity. Technical skills, of course, are important, but
higher on the list of requisite capabilities are soft skills. The
capacity to communicate effectively, to work in a collaborative
fashion, to innovate and resolve complex problems with
creativity are key skills that are inherent in emerging IT
and data centre roles and are less likely to be replicated by
automation. These skills will be common to many roles as the
IT skills landscape shifts.
“Organisations in the Middle
East join others around the
world in predicting constraints
to growth, a mismatch of
skills due to changes in IT
demands and competition
for talent across different
sectors including engineering,
aviation, construction and
professional services.”
Overall, the Middle East
is in a position to make
some key decisions
about its IT workforce
and that of the data
centre in particular.
Rapid change, under-
utilisation of labour and
investment in enduring
soft skills must be
addressed. So too, the
demand for technical
skills must be addressed
by utilising sector
specific education
partners if the region is
to prepare for imminent
capability challenges. n
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