Study: IT Workforce Unprepared for Cloud Jobs

Grazed from ChannelNomics. Author: Chris Gonsalves.

If there’s one thing that could slow the inexorable rush to cloud computing, it’s the dearth of talent trained and certified in the ways of the cloud. A new Microsoft Corp.-sponsored report from analyst firm IDC says 1.7 million cloud-related IT jobs went unfilled in 2012 and the number of available cloud positions will swell 26 percent per year to about seven million by 2015.

This puts the United States’ pace of cloud jobs growth well ahead of general IT employment, which is expected to continue its tepid climb of less than 3 percent through 2020, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The gap — coupled with the state of the IT workforce, which remains unprepared to handle advanced cloud jobs — is putting a renewed focus on retraining tech workers and pushing students to focus on cloud skills and certifications…

“Workforces around the world are steps behind when it comes to attaining the skills necessary to thrive in the cloud computing industry,” said IDC’s Cushing Anderson. “Unlike IT skill shortages in the past, solving this skills gap is extremely challenging, given that cloud brings a new set of skills, which haven’t been needed in the past. There is no one-size-fits-all set of criteria for jobs in cloud computing. Therefore, training and certification are essential for preparing prospective job candidates to work in cloud-related jobs.”…

Read more from the source @ http://channelnomics.com/2012/12/24/study-workforce-unprepared-cloud-jobs/