'Sexy' IT fields lure talent from enterprise

Employers seek multi-skilled IT workers

Australia has lost security and other enterprise technical skills to trendier IT areas like apps and online development, according to a report released today by Clarius Skills.

Talent pools in IT security, SAP and mainframe are all drying up, the IT recruiter said in its latest Clarius Skills Indicator.

“The combination of a decreasing flow of IT graduates, the attraction of consumer technology, and the recent slump in demand due to economic conditions is making it tough for companies to source people for what is perceived as less sexy careers,” said Clarius Group CEO Kym Quick.

“Security is a growing issue for business, government and individuals. And because of the lag time between getting students to focus on these skills, complete courses and be work ready there’s an urgent need at all levels to encourage and promote these career opportunities.”

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Also in the report, Clarius found that enterprises are increasingly seeking IT staff with multiple skill sets.

“Employers are recruiting for attitude, cultural fit and interpersonal soft skills on top of IT smarts,” said Quick. “Employers are requiring people to engage with and communicate with multiple service providers and business stakeholders.

“Where an organisation may have had individual project managers, business analysts, architects and vendor managers, they now expect one person to sit across a number of these roles.”

The Clarius Skills Indicator, produced with Independent Economics, tracks availability of skilled labour in Australia and forecasts the year ahead. The report uses data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics and Commonwealth Department of Employment.

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