By silicon.com, 10 April 2007 08:00
NEWS
What is the state of the UK workforce? silicon.com would like to know and to find out we have launched our ninth annual Skills Survey.
We are asking for your opinions on business skills such as project management and leadership plus technical areas such as programming languages. How do you feel about training, contractors and job mobility? Is there a skills shortage?
And what about offshoring and outsourcing? Have they altered the skills landscape? Is your job 'offshore-proof'?
The first half of our annual snapshot is largely a survey of opinions, while the second half allows us to profile respondents according to sector, job title, region, hours worked and salary.
Take part in the 2007 Skills Survey and look for the results later this spring from one of the biggest studies of its type in the UK.
We're even giving away a half-case of champagne to lucky entrants (though we assure you all data is collected anonymously).
Comments
There are 3 comments. Join the discussion
1. Norman Marks
I think it is important to define the word "skill". Claims of qualifications may well be genuine, but the actual value of such qualifications is often remarkably low. It's the same old story. GCSEs get you to A levels, which get you to University, which gets you the first job. After that, it's the job experience which gets you the next job, etc. The earlier qualifications are not really worth much after that. Couple that with bought qualifications such as MBAs and Microsoft certificates (not validated by Microsoft), and the "skills" picture is a quagmire before you introduce foreign labour or offshore outsourcing. We have found it necessary to source, interview and test 100 applicants to get one good programmer in Mumbai.
Many claim the skills, but few appear to have them in our experience. Who decides what skills we are short in, anyway? What skills do they have?
2. anonymous
How can there be a skills shortage when highly qualified people like me cannot get a job in the UK (I am not living and working in Saudi Arabia). Every time I have applied for a position in the UK I have been told I am over qualified. If there is a skills shortage then who's kidding who?
Offshoring is a waste of time and money as there is no substitute for local knowledge (with the right skills of course). All too often I hear people complaining about the service they recieve from Offshore resources. I have been in the IT industry for over 40 years and it is terrible the service we recieve.
You would think with the training and technology available today we would be streets ahead of our counter-parts of 15-20 years ago, but this is not the case, then people had to know what they were doing as the technology wasn't there to assist them as it is today, but they still gave a more effective and efficient service than today.
3. John
I spent a few minutes on your survey, but think that the wording of the questions is directed too much towards particular outcomes.
The term 'skills shortage' is a misnomer, particularly useful when applying for work visas, IMHO.
There is no shortage. There are a lot of skilled IT workers out there, but companies are changing working conditons and pay scales so that the job is less attractive and less well-paid. This is all part of the drive towards using 'cheaper' overseas suppliers in preference to existing 'expensive' talent already onshore. False economy, but if a company offers a position at an unattractive salary level if will perceive lack of response - or lack of experienced candidates - as a 'skills shortage'. Raise the offers and then see if the skills are available...