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T
he mention of a skills shortage or
gap in the technology sector is not
something new. It is an issue the
industry is very much aware of and there
are new incentives rolled out each year
to spark interest among the younger/
millennial generation.
Technology is ingrained in our everyday lives
and with the emergence of new applications
and innovations such as 5G, AI and IoT,
there is a lot of opportunity that the industry
can offer. But this fast-paced environment
means organisations need to have an agile,
skilled and prepared workforce. We also
need to make sure we are encouraging the
next generation of employees and providing
them with the chance to experience the
world of technology and enabling them to
pursue areas they are interested in with the
right tools, applications and support.
The impact of the dot.com bubble on
today’s workforce
The technology space is growing and
there is a strong appetite in the market
for us to continue innovating in today’s
digital world. Consumers want the latest
gadgets and devices and almost everyone
that wants a smartphone or laptop
has one. Advancements in technology
are seeing us move towards a world
of Smart Cities and autonomous cars.
This presents endless opportunities for
people to pursue, highlighting the need
for software developers, engineers and
networking experts, to name but a few,
which is necessary to support this growth
in the industry. Everything from the boom
in consumer electronics to what this does
from a networking standpoint places more
demand on the industry, opening up the
opportunity and job availability for the next
generation of workers.
The challenge, however, is this demand
and opportunity has not always been the
case and for several years the technology
industry went through a difficult period. In
the early 2000s, the dot.com bubble burst
and as a result, many companies had to
shut down and others had to significantly
reduce headcount to stay afloat. Networks
were over built, there was too much capacity,
not enough applications and a lot of hype –
once this all caught up, the market started to
consolidate and many new and upcoming
www.intelligentcio.com
Jamie Jefferies, Vice President and General
Manager of EMEA at Ciena
“
TODAY, A JOB FOR
LIFE IS HARDLY
RECOGNISED,
MAKING IT
DIFFICULT FOR
ORGANISATIONS
TO RETAIN
A STEADY
WORKFORCE.
tech start-ups failed. As such, the tech space
was considered high risk and when talent
was needed, it was difficult to find as many
people started to pursue a career elsewhere
looking for a more stable alternative.
Tackling the challenge of so much
choice and a yo-yoing workforce
The technology industry has gone through
rapid change, it rises and falls very quickly
which creates a yo-yoing or fluctuating
effect. And it is difficult to predict when
the industry will peak. Fast forward to
today, although the technology industry
is flourishing, the dot.com burst has had a
knock-on effect, particularly in terms of the
workforce demographic. However, this isn’t
the only implication, we are also faced with
INTELLIGENTCIO
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