Cloudreach research shows that a clear majority of IT leaders are very concerned about the current digital skills gap, which is hampering cloud transformations

New Cloudreach Researchan Atos company, gave an insight into the challenges faced by IT departments in the face of the continuing digital skills deficit.

As more and more organizations rely more and more on the cloud, the talent crisis is having a profound impact on the ability of organizations to transform their operations.

The skills gap issue has been a constant concern for years. Last year, think tank Learning and Work Institute warned of a potentially “catastrophic” digital skills shortage caused by fewer young people seeking careers in IT.

Skills gap

And other data showed the UK slipped in the global tech and data skills rankings.

This is supplemented by Cloudreach research conducted by IDC, which collected data from 610 IT CEOs in North America and Europe at large enterprises across a wide range of industries.

It revealed that more than 70% of IT managers surveyed globally viewed lack of skills as a pressing concern.

More than half of respondents said it slowed them down (46%) or created an existential crisis for the company (9%).

These are important statistics as more and more organizations race to adopt cloud technology to improve efficiency and sustainability. It also highlights how the industry needs more skilled professionals than ever to maintain its operations.

Indeed, data from Cloudreach revealed that business leaders are finding that their cloud transformation initiatives are increasingly hampered by a lack of skilled professionals, with 34% of respondents saying the shortage has reduced their ability to operate. and launch services.

The low supply of cloud skills is also hitting innovation, leading to high employee turnover and wage inflation, according to the report.

Skills required

The data showed that multi-cloud capabilities, cloud systems development, and cloud governance were the top three areas most affected by the skills gap, according to respondents.

“This study confirms that there is a shortage of cloud talent today, threatening cloud transformation projects that are critical to business survival,” said Brooks Borcherding, CEO of Cloudreach.

“Talented architects and engineers are key to fulfilling the promise of the cloud for businesses, and the opportunities are huge for their careers,” Borcherding said. “This skills gap poses a challenge for organizations to find new ways to recruit, hire and develop talent; including removing barriers to entry that have historically limited diversity within the industry.

“Companies recognize the importance of cloud infrastructure in helping them grow and become more efficient, and this study confirms that demand for cloud services continues to grow,” added Vittorio Sanvito, Director of Partner Development EMEA. at AWS.

“That’s why we’re working so hard to help close the skills gap in EMEA and globally with our partners like Cloudreach and Atos,” Sanvito said. “AWS is also committed to helping 29 million people around the world develop their technology skills through free cloud computing training by 2025.”

It’s worth remembering that the skills gap is not just a problem for the UK, but is a constant across all cloud organizations in North America and Europe.

Carbon Dioxide Emission

The Cloudreach study also revealed other trends in cloud technology, including the vital role it can play in business operations, especially in a post-Covid world.

The study found that 48% of respondents are now engaged in business transformation through cloud adoption.

And he revealed that 71% of respondents see cloud strategy as the top driver of sustainability today, rising to 85% in 2023.

“This study shows that the cloud is critical to meeting carbon emissions targets,” concluded Carla Arend, Senior Program Manager and Principal Analyst, Cloud in Europe at IDC.

“Companies consume less energy and reduce their environmental footprint when migrating to a cloud environment,” Arend said. “To have an impact, sustainability practices must be integrated into company business processes. These go beyond tracking CO2 emissions or utility consumption, but seek greener practices throughout the life cycle of assets. »